St. Patrick's
Day Parade
Route Map
CLICK TO ENLARGE
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St.
Patrick's Day Parade 2000
Photo Gallery
Photos by Johnson Bachman |
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West Scranton High School Band
members ignore the rain as they march in the 39th annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in
downtown Scranton. |
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CLICK TO ENLARGE PHOTOS ---------- |
ABOVE: Runners take off from the start of the 5K foot race that
preceded the parade.
RIGHT: Samantha Garvey, 6, and her twin brother, Patrick, watch the parade from the
porch of St. Peter's Rectory.
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CLICK HERE FOR THE
Friendly Sons of St. Patrick Dinner Photo Gallery
OUR AREA'S IRISH HERITAGE
Scranton and Lackawanna County have deep Irish roots, which manifest
themselves annually with one of the largest St. Patrick's Day parades in the nation and
the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick Dinner, now in its 95th year. This year will mark the
second year for the St. Patrick's Day Celebration, an alternative dinner for women.
The Irish came to this area starting in the early 1800s, many to work in the
coal mines. Through the years, they became perhaps the most dominant ethnic group in
Lackawanna County, rising to prominence in politics, the judiciary, religion, medicine and
other positions of leadership in the community. By latest count, more than 30 percent of
the county's population is of Irish descent.
To get a sense of just how prominent Scranton's Irish community is, consider
these historical tidbits:
 John F.
Kennedy's stop here was reported to be one of the best of his presidential campaign.
In 1964,
Robert F. Kennedy made his first public speech here at the Friendly Sons dinner following
the assassination of his brother.
When Dr.
Garret Fitzgerald, prime minister of Ireland, visited the United States in 1986, he made
three stops - Washington, the United Nations in New York and the Friendly Sons dinner in
Dickson City.
Gerry Adams,
the leader of Sinn Fein, chose Scranton as one of two U.S. cities he officially visited in
1996.
As we approach St. Patrick's Day, Scranton's Irishness will blossom with
parades, dinners, musical performances, speeches, laughter and song as the area's Irish
boast of their greatness and poke fun at their frailties. |
IRISH INTERACTIVE
Who is St. Patrick? |
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Pardon me, lad, but would'ye be so kind as to tell me something? (It's kind of
embarassing because I'm a leprechaun and I should know this.) But who is this St. Patrick
fella anyway? If ye tell me, I'll post yer answers on our Web site.
Submit your answer
Read the submissions |
Tell us
your favorite Irish limericks and jokes
(Please include your name and hometown.
All submissions will be reviewed for appropriateness
and posted accordingly)
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Jokes |
Submit
an Irish joke
Read the submissions |
Two Irishmen met and one said to the
other, "Have ye seen Mulligan lately, Pat?"
Pat said, "Well, I have and I haven't."
His friend asked, "well what d'ye mean by that?"
Pat said, "It's like this, y'see ... I saw a chap who I thought was Mulligan, and he
saw a chap that he thought was me. And when we got up to one another ... it was neither of
us." |
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He spent all his money