Former Dublin Mayor Tim Lecklider went to a St. Patrick’s Day parade last year, but it wasn’t the same, by a long shot.
He was in Dublin, Ireland, rather than Dublin, Ohio, and the parade in that historic city isn’t like the one at home, Lecklider says.
Lecklider, a 12-year city councilman, and his wife, Sharon, who is of Irish descent, were guests of the city that’s the reputed center of the annual historic observance. It was the first time as a public official Lecklider had missed Dublin, Ohio’s celebration, which has been dubbed “The Greenest, Grandest Parade.”
He joined mayors and administrators of municipalities named Dublin from California, Georgia, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire for the traditional three-day celebration in Ireland.
“The Gathering of Dublins” was intended to promote tourism, “encouraging people from all over the world to visit, especially if they had Irish ancestors or relatives there,” Lecklider says, as well as perhaps leading to cultural, economic and educational exchanges.
Host Lord Mayor Naoise O’Muiri greeted the mayors upon their arrival. After a tour of the historic city hall, the mayor hosted a social gathering in the historic Guinness Storehouse.
O’Muiri, an engineer, had been elected by the city council to the traditional one-year term the Lord Mayor serves, a practice that dates to the 1200s. The honorary title gave him the right to live in the official residence, the Mansion House, during his term. O’Muiri, whom Lecklider says was in his 40s and the father of three younger children, was the group’s “almost … constant companion.”
Before the traditional parade, thousands of citizens marched along the route as part of the celebration that draws participants from across the country, Lecklider says.
For the parade, the visiting delegation was stationed immediately behind a four-person color guard that led off. “It was a position of prominence” to walk just in front of the ornate, hand-carved, horse-drawn carriage in which O’Muiri and his family rode. After a short walk, the contingent joined its host and other officials on the reviewing stand.
The approximately two-hour parade had five large bands, including the Purdue University marching band and its iconic bass drum, so large it’s a wheeled carriage. There were smaller bands from various parts of Ireland and some neighboring countries. Marchers wore garb that reflected their region or historical aspects of the country, Lecklider says. There were a couple units he described as “float-like” that had historic themes, but the parade had no “fire trucks or pickup truck” conveyances that are familiar sights at parades in America.
Lecklider notes that the official theme color for St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland is blue, not green, in contrast to U.S. tradition. “The cultural aspects of their parade are what is seen at our Irish Festival,” he observes.
Lecklider said his post-parade activities included a luncheon with his group and city councilors. They took a walking tour of parts of the city and in the evening, “we were treated to what was like a state dinner” in the mansion, he says.
The next day they traveled to Belfast in Northern Ireland and the neighboring city of Armagh. On this day-long journey, the visitors were treated as Irish lord mayors, sporting traditional large gold chain necklaces with medallions reflecting their hometowns. The mayor of Dublin, Calif., already had one he had received from his community’s sister city, Bray, Ireland.
After their three days in Dublin, the Leckliders were on their own and rented a car to tour. They stopped in a cemetery in Piltown in County Kilkenny, where Sharon’s ancestors had lived, and by coincidence found the graves of her great-great-grandparents – a bit of Irish luck, perhaps.
During the trip, they saw other connections to home; Dublin is home of the Ha’penny Bridge – after which Ha’penny Bridge Imports is named – and in Kilkenny, they found a pub called Matt the Millers.
In the future, Lecklider believes Dublin, Ohio could host other Dublin mayors, perhaps during the Irish Festival. And perhaps a sister-city relationship with an Irish municipality could be arranged to facilitate cultural or even educational exchanges. Though he hasn’t pushed either idea, Lecklider hopes both are eventually considered as his Dublin, Ohio’s traditions evolve.
Duane St. Clair is a contributing editor. Feedback welcome at laurand@cityscenemediagroup.com.
Local Celebration
This year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration gets under way at 7 a.m. Saturday, March 15, beginning with the traditional Lions Club pancake breakfast at Sells Middle School on West Bridge Street in Historic Dublin. During the morning, Irish entertainment will be on stage in the city’s show mobile at the neighboring Indian Run Elementary School.
At 9:30 a.m. in Metro Center, the Inflation Celebration gets underway as five to seven balloons are inflated with helium in preparation for the 90-minute trek, says Trish Lackey, parade manager. A top hat balloon, reflecting Irish heritage and traditional attire for leprechauns, will be the first of about 110 parade units, including bands from the three Dublin high schools.
The parade steps off at 11 a.m. from Metro Center and goes north on Frantz Road, east on Bridge Street and south on High Street until it disbands. The city estimates the parade draws 20,000 spectators.
For the remainder of the day, restaurants and taverns will have various Irish-themed events and menu items. Businesses are expected to offer sale prices, says Mary Jo DiSalvo, the city’s events manager.
Photos from the 2013 St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin
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