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Collect all (4) High Quality Limited Edition Collector Pins now, while they last.
Attention: All Bands, Pipers, Step Dancers and Irish Organizations click here
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2004 Belmar Saint Patrick's Day Parade
Sunday, March 7, 2004
BELMAR ST. PATRICK'S DAY PARADE est. 1873
P.O. BOX 331 BELMAR, NEW JERSEY 07718
732-280-2548
Jack Rea
Parade Publicist
Tel: (732) 681-6252
2000
In the year 2000 Grand Marshall Bill O'Connell, a retired Jersey City Police Sergeant from Wall, and Deputy Grand Marshal Sharon Dey, Belmar's Deputy Borough Clerk from Belmar led some 4500 marchers on as unseasonable 55 degree day …. Drawing an estimated 225,000 spectators.
2001
The 2001 Parade was headed by the well known Kelly Brothers, Ed and Kevin, owners of the famous landmark tavern, Kelly's of Neptune City and by well known Irish Activist Florence Sheehan C0-Grand Marshals and Deputy Grand Marshal respectively. Nor since 1875 has the Parade had two Grand Marshals, when Belmar Mayor, John Taylor and South Belmar Mayor Clarence Reed shared this Honor. Ed lives in Neptune and Kevin in Neptune City. Florence resides in Belmar.
2002
Parade committee president Jerry Lynch will once again sing the Irish and American National Anthems at the parade's start which sets the tone and theme for the parade and the rest of the day. Popular Freeholder and Past Grand Marshal Tom Powers will be parade commentator. Tom is also a parade committee member. According to parade chairman Dave Stanley, this year's parade will number over 4000 marchers and 35 or more bands including 16 bagpipe bands.. Awards will be designated for various categories in the line of march including, once again, a designer Waterford trophy for best bagpipe band donated by Waterford Crystal of Ireland. Dave states that this parade keeps right on growing each year and he expects a turn-out of over 200,000 spectators. Let's hope Dave is right. Nothing is so stirring or thrilling as a grand parade on that grand Sunday when Belmar and South Belmar, each year for one brief, shinning day (God willing), are transformed into an Irish "Glocca Morra"....when F Street becomes a mystical, magical canyon surrounded on both sides by green-bedecked revelers....the canyon itself alive with thousands of marchers, bagpipers, drummers, woodwinds, brass, twirlers, cheerleaders, clowns, acrobats, mummers, drum majors and majorettes, clergy, politicians, dignitaries, officials, militia, flags, pennants, floats, beauty queens and their ladies-in-waiting. This is a day that God has bestowed upon us; when Irishmen forget their troubles; when they gather with their friends to honor their patron, St. Patrick, and their God. Good luck you Irish....have a great day....and a great parade!.
1890
1890....Thomas F. Murphy, past president of the Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh of Old Bridge and Kathy Finn of Avon lead the parade as Grand Marshal and Deputy Grand Marshal. Kathy is the wife of Irish folksinger, Joe Finn. Tom will become a parade committee member.
1891
1891....John F. Fleming, a member of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and long active in Irish affairs. is the Grand Marshal. Isabel Smith of Avon and also a parade committee member and co-chairlady of the Investiture Mass and Luncheon, is Deputy Grand Marshal.
1892
1892 saw the beautiful St. Patrick parade banner for the first time at the head of the parade....it now leads the parade every year. This striking banner was donated by this year's Grand Marshal Larry Codey and was chosen and brought over from Ireland by committee member Mary Reilly....our TV lady. Margaret O'Neill, president of the Monmouth Federation of Irish was Deputy Grand Marshal. On July 25, our president George McCormack passed away.
1893
In 1893 more than 150,000 spectators lined a parade of approximately 3000 marchers including 11 bagpipe bands, 8 school bands, 2 military bands, plus other club bands and 15 floats. Grand Marshal was Larry Kelly, a well-known Irish activist and Marilyn Maloney, a familiar Irish lady of the Jersey Shore. Both Larry and Marilyn were parade committee members, however Larry passed away the following year unexpectedly and is sorely missed by his beloved Irish community.
1894
1894 ushered in a great St. Patrick's Day Parade with prominent Irish-American balladeer Joe (Hello Joe!) Finn and the ever effervescent Dolly Harris reigning as Grand and Deputy Grand Marshals respectively. More than 4000 marchers backed up this grand pair. 15 members of the "Garda Siochana" police from Shannon Airport, Ireland marched for the second consecutive year as guests of St. Michael's Division 8, Ancient Order of Hibernians, Jersey City which is made up of members of the Port of New Jersey Authority Police; and for the first time, a smart and proud unit from the highly respected Asbury Park Police Department entered our parade to the crowd's delight.
1895
At the head of the 1895 St. Patrick's Day parade were two well known and well deserving Irish personalities: Msgr. Alfred D. Smith and Eileen P. O'Connell. Monsignor is pastor of St. Rose parish in Belmar; Eileen and her husband are St. Rose parishioners. Behind Monsignor and Eileen were over 4000 marchers including 35 bands (15 were bagpipe bands), 20 floats and the award-winning march unit and pipe band of the Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh of Old Bridge.
1896
Saw John F. Kelly, a well-known Irish activist and a gentleman, as parade Grand Marshal and Rosemarie Plunkett Reilly, who currently works as a Funeral Director and Bereavement Counselor for the Reilly Funeral Home in Belmar, as Deputy Grand Marshal.
1897
In 1897 the Parade was headed by Grand Marshal Thomas Moore, an Officer with the Port Authority Police and Deputy Grand Marshal Josephine A. Sheehan, a retired AT&T executive. Despite a sprinkling of "dew" from heaven, a crowd of approximately 140,000 was in attendance … Governor Christine Whitman was among the 4000 marchers who made this Parade an enormous success.
1898
1898, the 25th Anniversary of The Belmar Saint Patrick's Day Parade, ushered in a huge Parade headed by Jack Rea, a retired DuPont Engineering Supervisor from Wall and Kathy Donnelly, a technical assistant for Social Security Services from Old Bridge, as Grand Marshal and Deputy Grand Marshal, respectively. Governor Whitman marched with us once again through a light rain (Irish Mist) was with us most of the day.
1899
In 1899, TheBelmar Parade was led by Grand Marshal Bob O'Connor, a Building Contactor and Roofer from Belmar, and Deputy Grand Marshal Helen Fay, a Secretary at Riverview Medical Center, from Middletown. Thousands again lined Main Street in South Belmar and Belmar despite threatening weather all day.
1880
1880....Dave Stanley and Frances McShea headed the parade on a cold and windy day that still saw an increase in the number of marchers and spectators. Dave was then, and is now , the Parade Chairman....the most responsible and demanding post on the parade committee....he does it all!
1881
In 1881 the railroad added special trains on the Sunday of the parade to accommodate the ever-growing number of spectators coming from Upstate New Jersey and New York. Francis Payanoe and Cornelia Ryan were the Grand and Deputy Grand Marshals respectively, Cornelia is a Parade Committee Member.
1882
1882 saw Jerry Lynch himself honored further as Grand Marshal of this parade..... Mary Trackman was Deputy Grand Marshal. Lynch continued to sing the Irish and American National Anthems at the start of the parade....which he still does.
1883
In 1883 public drinking of alcoholic beverages was banned by then Police Chief Jack Manutti and Fire Companies were asked to silence their sirens. Pat Dodd and Joan (Sam) Grace led this parade as Grand and Deputy Grand Marshals. "Sam", also a Parade Committee Member, co-chairs the annual St. Patrick's Day Beauty Pageant with Committee Member, Lois Gallagher. The Beauty Pageant is sponsored each year by the Jerry Lynch Club.
1884
Former Newark Mayor Leo Carlin and Jennifer Joyce, mother of the Sea Girt quintuplets, were Grand and Deputy Grand Marshals of the 1884 Parade.
1885
1885.....the parade is led by Jerry Lynch Club President Andy Gallagher and popular Irish activist and business woman, Mary Reilly....both parade committee members also. This year also saw the late George E. McCormack of Sea Girt, Tax Administrator of Essex, become President of the newly-formed Belmar St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee whose sole function was to promote and produce the annual parade. Up to this time the parade had been managed by a loosely-formed group of Jerry Lynch Club members. Today, the present parade executive committee, with Jerry Lynch as it's president, is much more focused and consists of 22 highly motivated and dedicated members who, for the most part, remain in the background. The actual promoter and earth-shaker orchestrating the committee's various functions each year is Parade Chairman, Dave Stanley....a sometimes controversial, sometimes gruff, sometimes dictatorial, but nevertheless highly respected and colorful Irishman who knows where it's at....who gets the job done....who makes it all come together!
1886
1886....Some 80,000 people crowded into the boroughs under sunny skies to cheer Grand Marshal Edward R. McGlynn, Chief of Staff to Gov. Thomas H. Kean and Deputy Grand Marshal Mary Kelly. Both Edward and Mary, the previous day and for the first time ever, received their sashes at the first St. Patrick's Day Investiture Mass at St. Rose R.C. Church in Belmar. Another tradition is born!
1887
1887....The popular duo, Richard Regan of Seton Hall fame and Frances Lynch, wife of Jerry Lynch and one of the most active of all committee members, were the honored Marshals of a parade which now included a contingent of Vietnam Veterans for the first time. Also, for the first time, parade committee member and past Deputy Grand Marshal Mary Reilly became color commentator for CableVision TV 34's coverage of the parade...Mary is now a familiar figure above the parade reviewing stand each year.
1888
By 1888 the parade was drawing over 100,000 spectators; marchers numbered 2500 or more, and 10 decorative floats were in the line of march. Joseph "Bo" Sullivan, Turnpike Chairman was the Grand Marshal. Ann Hourihan Rea, a parade committee member and now co-chairlady of the Investiture Mass and Luncheon was Deputy Grand Marshal. Ann wore a purple cape that day, given to her by the famous Irish clothes designer Jimmy Hourihan who believes they could very well be related.
1889
1889....The parade was gathering momentum and receiving plaudits throughout the state. Popular Freeholder Tom Powers is parade Grand Marshal and Noreen McCormack, wife of George McCormack, is Deputy Grand Marshal....Tom and Noreen are both members of the parade committee and both do the parade commentary from the reviewing stand.
1873
Belmar: The year is 1873 . The Jerry Lynch Social & Athletic Club is born. Much later it would be renamed the Jerry Lynch Social Club. With well-known singer, stage performer, hotel and bar owner Jerry Lynch as the club's standard bearer, plans were made to put the "Irish Riviera's" first St. Patrick's Day Parade on the streets of Belmar and South Belmar.
1874
In 1874, for the first time, fifty members of the Jerry Lynch Club marched proudly in top hats and tails behind their standard bearer and parade founder Jerry Lynch. There were four (sic) bands, a lot of fire engines, and slightly less marchers than the several hundred people lining Main St.. The late James J. Howard, who represented the shore district for over two decades, and the late Mrs. Theresa Burke were the first Grand and Deputy Grand Marshals.
1875
In 1875, for trivia fans, the Belmar St. Patrick's Day Parade had two Grand Marshals.... John Taylor and Clarence Reed, the mayors of Belmar and South Belmar respectively. Mrs. Catherine McCann was Deputy Grand Marshal.
1876
1876 saw Governor Brendan T. Byrne as the first governor to march in this parade. The popular county sheriff Paul Kiernan and Jenny Nicol were Grand and Deputy Grand Marshals.
1877
Brian Kennedy and Elizabeth McGill led the 1877 parade which was rained on so heavily that the dye in the top hats ran down the faces of many of the marchers....probably the worst weather day in the parade's history.
1878
By 1878 the parade was developing rapidly and attracting state-wide attention. Marchers were numbering close to a thousand; more than half a dozen bands were now participating; and larger crowds were attending. William Kelly and Margaret Byrne were Grand and Deputy Grand Marshals.
1879
In 1879 Mike Doolan and Miriam Toohey led the parade on probably one of the coldest days yet....still numerous hearty spectators turned out.
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