💾 Archived View for eir.mooo.com › nuacht › lui17344404032.gmi captured on 2024-12-17 at 11:01:37. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Abigail Hayden, 17 Dec
SEVENTEEN Irish-Americans have been announced as aides to the grand
marshal, Limerick native Mike Benn, for the 2025 New York City St
Patrick's Day Parade.
Aides to the grand marshal are chosen annually by the parade’s
participating organizations in recognition of their "outstanding
service" to the Irish American community of New York.
The selection of an aide is acknowledgement of years of "unselfish,
dedicated, and distinguished service to the New York and Irish
communities and for their contribution to Irish faith, culture and
heritage".
“The Board of Directors thanks the affiliate organizations for
selecting such a wonderful dedicated and distinguished group of Irish
Americans,” said parade chairman Sean Lane. “They will join our Grand
Marshal, Mike Benn, who will lead the parade past St. Patrick’s
Cathedral and up Fifth Avenue on Monday, March 17, 2025.”
“We have an unbelievable selection of Aides to the Grand Marshal this
year. They are representative of the community and what the parade
stands for, which is a celebration of Irish faith, culture and
heritage” said Hilary Beirne as he introduced the aides at the parade
delegate’s meeting on Thursday, December 12.
“This year we have two priests, a member of the NYPD, a retired Chief
from the Fire Department, a former New York State commissioner, and a
President of a 155 thousand strong.”
Michael Benn, the grand marshall of this spring's parade, was born in
Limerick city in 1948, where he attended the Christian Brothers School
before emigrating to the United States in 1962.
He completed his second level education at Cardinal Hayes high school
in the Bronx, NYC before attending and graduating from Mercy College
with a degree in accounting. Michael then served as a Sergeant in the
US Army from 1969 through 1972.
Michael and his wife Christina, who is also from Limerick City, met in
the Bronx and have been happily married for 53 years.
They have built a life with their family in Rockaway Beach, NY, and
have six children, Michael, Richard, William, Brendan, Patrick and
Tara, along with their 11 grandchildren, Michael, Oliver, Shayla,
Brendan, Ryan, Heidi, Madison, Richard, Teagan, and Mackenzie Cassidy,
and five daughters in laws: Kimberly, Helena, Martina, Valerie, and
Kristen.
READ MORE: My week with Celia Holman Lee: Castles, catwalks, and
celebrations
They have raised their family to "be proud of their Irish roots, to
embrace their Catholic upbringing, and celebrate their Irish culture".
Michael is the president and chairman of Queens County St Patrick's Day
Parade in Rockaway Beach, the 2nd largest St Patrick's Day parade in
New York.
He works "effortlessly" on organizing the parade year-round to ensure
strong Irish leaders are recognized and celebrated.
Michael has always had close ties in the Irish community and is very
involved in celebrating Irish culture, producing and directing Au SĂşil
Na Gael (In the Eyes of the Irish), a television show that promotes
Irish culture and heritage.
He was honoured by the New York City Council on three separate
occasions and received the Tom Manton award. Michael also received the
Irish Ministry Shining Star, was the Chief Brehon of Coney Island's
Great Irish Fair, and Queens County AOH man of the year.
Mike Benn and his aides will lead the approximate 200,000 marchers up
Fifth Avenue in the 264th New York City’s St Patrick’s Day Parade on
March 17, 2025.
The aides to the grand marshal for the 2025 St Patrick’s Day Parade
are: Grand Council of United Emerald Societies aide: John
Samuelson, Orange County aide: Kevin M Stromer, United Irish Counties
aide: Regina O’Dwyer, Rockland County aide: John B. Kelly, Knights of
St Patrick aide: Joseph Michael Murphy Jr, Bronx County aide: Fr
Brendan Fitzgerld, Suffolk County aide: Gerard (Jerry) Joseph
Belmont, Queens County aide: William (Bill) Gerard Corrigan, Nassau
County aide: Marian Cronin, Westchester County aide: Cathal M. McGreal,
aide at large: Betty McLoughlin, NYPD aide: Kevin Murphy, FDNY
aide: Chief Thomas Reilly, New York County aide: James B Ferguson Jr
Esq, Archdiocese of New York aide: Fr Ryan Muldoon, Richmond County
aide: Warren Coffey, Kings County aide: Daniel Chiarantano.