ST. LOUIS — The Hibernian St. Patrick’s Day Parade, annually held in Dogtown, turns 40 this year. To celebrate the major milestone, special guests, including three of the original parade founders will be honored as Grand Marshals.

Members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians first organized the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 1984 to celebrate their Irish heritage and culture. The inaugural parade was held in Clayton and has been held every year on March 17 since then.

In its third year, the parade moved to Dogtown, the last remaining Irish neighborhood in St. Louis. Throughout the years, it has grown to be one of the premier celebrations in St. Louis, according to Jim Mohan, publicity chairman of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

“It’s a legacy,” Mohan said. “We never take the parade for granted.”

The parade has become a tradition passed down by generations. Children who have marched in the parade in the 1980s are now bringing their children to participate and in some cases, their grandchildren, Mohan said.

Tom O'Connell was at the first one and hasn't missed a year since. His brother Phil was driving a chaplin for the Hibernians in 1984 and asked Tom to join. He and his 2.5-year-old daughter Beth joined him along the route and a tradition was born.

"It's a huge deal. My brother Steve is coming in from out of town which he will when it is on the weekend," O'Connell said. "It's like a national holiday for us."

The number of O'Connell participants has grown over the years as O'Connell children got married and started having children of their own.

"They love it, love being a part of it. They get out of school for it," O'Connell said. "It's a big deal."

The family wears matching "O'Connell Clan" gear, which comes in T-shirts, long sleeve shirts and sweatshirts depending on the St. Louis weather. 

The committee is proud to have the parade on St. Patrick’s Day every year, and to highlight Irish culture and heritage, the Dogtown neighborhood, as well as St. Louis Irish families, “which is the touchstone of the Irish community,” Mohan said.

“We’re quite proud of what we’ve accomplished over the years,” Mohan said. “We put on a great parade to showcase the Irish heritage and culture to St. Louis.”

“That’s what the parade is all about, projecting our heritage and our culture to the people of St. Louis and to keep that alive.”

The parade begins at the intersection of Tamm and Oakland at 11 a.m. Then turns down Tamm, passes St. James the Greater Church to Manchester Avenue.

Leading with the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales, the 2024 parade will feature almost 100 floats that highlight Irish dancing, music, culture and history. And the traditional marching of Irish family clans.

St. Louis Irish families participate in the parade as a unit, carrying signs emblazoned with the family name or crest.

This year, a section of Manchester Avenue will be closed for the parade to travel through and for spectators to watch, which has been a prior safety concern, according to Mohan.

Every year, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee works with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD), the St. Louis Fire Department and EMS to ensure everyone’s safety, Mohan said.

He noted there will be SLMPD officers and paid security on the parade route, in addition to marshalls.

“At the same time, we want parade goers to be aware of their surroundings of what’s going on, and if they see something, say something,” Mohan said.

“We’re very well aware of the situation in Kansas City, but we’ve always done due diligence ahead of time to try to make everything as safe and secure as we can.”  

This year’s parade will be dedicated to three of the remaining founders, Jim Sheerin, Tim Wiese and Mohan. They will be honored as Grand Marshals.

The three played a vital role in creating the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and establishing its Irish identity.

As one of the Grand Marshals, Mohan said he is looking forward to reconnecting with Sheerin and Wiese, recognizing the hard work of the first parade committee and riding in the parade with his wife, daughter and grandchildren.

A memorial float will be in the parade to honor George Clough, also known as “Mr. Hibernian,” the former national president of the Ancient Order of Hibernians.

He also served as the organization’s national legal counsel for many years. Clough died last month.

Additionally, two other special honorees will be in the parade, including Julie Colombo, a 101-year-old, life-long resident of Dogtown, and Warren Sullivan, a 100-year-old World War II veteran.

Colombo will turn 102 in April and served as the Grand Marshal at last year’s parade. She is a long-time member of St. James the Greater Parish and has lived in the same home on West Park Avenue since birth.

Sullivan served in combat for the Army during World War II in Europe where part of his mission was interrogating German prisoners of war. Sullivan received his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois after the war and earned his law degree from Northwestern University.

He worked for General Dynamics as corporate vice president in industrial relations and administration.

Over the past four decades, Mohan said the parade has made a positive economic impact to businesses in the Dogtown area.

“The parade and the festival that surrounds the parade brings a lot of economic incentive into the area,” he said. “We’re glad we bring a shining light on the neighborhood and an economic push to the neighborhood.”

Mohan reminds parade attendees to make sure they pick up after themselves.

“When we come to Dogtown, we’re guests of the neighborhood,” Mohan said. “And we expect the people that come out to watch the parade and our parade participants to respect the neighborhood.”

“If everybody works together, we can pull off another great parade like we do every year.”