Ryan W. Doherty was born in Smithtown, New York in October 1974 to William and Teresa Doherty who hail from Co. Waterford, Ireland. When Ryan was two years of age, the family moved to Glen Cove, where Ryan attended St Patrick’s School, Finley Middle School, and Glen Cove High School. In 1990, the family, including siblings Tara and Andrew, moved to Bayville.
Ryan graduated from Locust Valley High School in 1992 and, in 1996, received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aviation Administration from Farmingdale State College. After college, Ryan was employed by Aer Lingus Irish Airlines and later as a US Customs Inspector at JFK International Airport.
Ryan attended the NYPD Police Academy, where he was awarded the Chief of Police Award for Highest Academic Average for the Class of 1999. In July 1999, Ryan was appointed as a Police Officer for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department (MTAPD), which patrols North America’s largest transportation network, including the Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North, Staten Island Rapid Transit, and NYC Transit, and the world’s biggest and busiest transportation facilities such as Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal.
In April 2003, Ryan was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and is currently assigned to the Operations Unit – Emergency Operation Center in Long Island City. Ryan, a 9/11 WTC First Responder, was a member of the Ceremonial Unit Honor Guard and volunteers on the MTAPD Peer Support Team. Ryan was also honored by the Irish Echo as a Law-and-Order Leader in 2011. In 2022, he received a Distinguished Service Award from the Nassau County Municipal Police Chiefs Association.
Ryan is an avid bagpiper for both the Pipes and Drums of the Police Emerald Society of Westchester County and the MTAPD Ceremonial Unit Pipes and Drums. Ryan serves on the board of the Police Emerald Society of Westchester, is a member of the NYPD and Nassau Police Emerald Societies, and is most proudly a charter member and Sergeant at Arms of the recently formed MTAPD Emerald Society, established in 2022.
He is a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Fraternal Order of Police, the Knights of Columbus, the Elks Club, the NYPD Holy Name Society, and the Brotherhood of the Fallen, NYC Chapter. Ryan is a huge history buff, a craft beer enthusiast, a Notre Dame football fan, a NY Islanders hockey fan, and a Gaelic Athletic Association supporter. His biggest dream that he hopes in his lifetime to see a free and united Ireland.
A dual citizen of both the United States and Ireland, Ryan credits his parents Bill and Teresa for instilling in him a love for all things Irish at a very early age. He celebrated his first birthday in Ireland and has grown up spending summers with his family along the River Suir in Cheekpoint, Passage East, and Ballyguner Co. Waterford.
His parents were active in AOH/LAOH events on the North Shore dating back to the 1970s, and also attended Irish feiseanna and festivals in East Durham. His father Bill was past president of Mike Moran Division 8 of the AOH and his mother Teresa was a charter member of St Dymphna Division 8 of the LAOH.
Ryan remembers Glen Cove’s first St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 1989 as a teenager and participated and assisted with the Line of March in many parades during the ensuing 35 years. Ryan joined the AOH in 1996 while in college and held many elected positions including Financial Secretary and Vice President.
Ryan was selected as Aide to Grand Marshal of the 2014 Parade where he was joined by his wife Caroline, born in Co. Galway, and their daughter, Ashling, who is currently a 9th-grade student at The Ursuline School.
The Winters Family was instrumental in helping Ryan’s parents emigrate to New York and get their start in Glen Cove. To honor the memory of his cousin, Joseph Winter, Ryan supports the Winters Center for Autism, a Long Island-based nonprofit organization that supports adults with autism through job creation, training, and placement while helping businesses employ people with autism.
Ryan is very grateful and appreciative to the Glen Cove Parade for the honor of his selection as Grand Marshal of the 2023 Glen Cove St Patrick’s Parade. It is, for him, literally a hometown and family parade that gives him great pride, and satisfaction and holds for him many fond personal and professional memories. Reflecting on all the past Grand Marshals, Ryan considers it a great tribute to be associated with such an All-Star Irish and American group of individuals and their contributions to Glen Cove and beyond.
Now three generations old is it hard to remember a time when there was no St Patrick’s Day Parade in Glen Cove. As we look to the future, Ryan asks the younger generation to help preserve this great public display of Irish American heritage for many more years to come.
