Parade History — The Glen Cove St. Patrick's Day Parade

Glen Cove 2020 Parade Cancelled

March 11, 2020 by Joe McDonald

Special Press Release: Glen Cove 2020 St. Patrick’s Day Parade Cancellation

Glen Cove, NY March 11, 2020 11:00 am – – For Immediate Release— Glen Cove Parade Inc., which runs the annual Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade hereby announces that this year’s parade, which had been scheduled for March 22, 2020, has been cancelled due to the COVID 19 virus situation.

This decision was made after consultation with the office of the Mayor of Glen Cove and informed by local medical experts concerned about the potential risks posed by public gatherings of large groups of people such as the Parade and attendant celebrations. As organizers of the Parade, we feel obliged to take no chance of presenting unnecessary risk to our families, friends and guests who would have attended these events, or to the community at large.

We are presently contemplating the possibility of rescheduling the Parade for the early Autumn, or to hold some other manner of event to honor our Grand Marshal and other honorees and to benefit the charity we had chosen to receive the net funds raised in connection with this year’s event; that charity being the St. Vincent DePaul Society. Decisions about those plans will be announced in coming days. Please visit our webpage at www.glencoveparade.com or our Facebook page @glencoveirishparade. You may also text or call 516-782-7494.

Please Support Our Parade!

March 3, 2020 by Robert P. Lynch

The Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade receives NO public or municipal financial support. We depend solely on corporate sponsorship and individual donations to the Glen Cove Parade Committee Inc. All parade expenses are paid in this way and all amounts collected in excess of those expenses are donated directly to carefully chosen charities. Our selected charity for the 2020 Parade is the St. Patrick, Glen Cove Council of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. This worthy charity was chosen because of its dedicated service to the people of our community.

Your support for this wonderful cultural event is deeply appreciated. There are two main support opportunities available to you in order to support the parade:

About the 2020 Parade

January 27, 2020 by Robert P. Lynch

The 32nd Annual Glen Cove Saint Patrick’s Day Parade takes place on Sunday, March 22, 2020. The parade is the premier St. Patrick’s Day celebration on Long Island.

The Grand Marshal of this year’s parade is Gerard “Gerry” Herbert. Gerry is a native of County Galway, Ireland and a longtime resident of Glen Cove, where he runs a successful HVAC business and has for many years been deeply involved in running the Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Aides to the Grand Marshal are educator Carolyn Masterson McGillicuddy and auto specialist Eric Hill.

The Parade has taken place annually since 1989. It has grown to be the largest annual parade in Glen Cove and is a joyous celebration, a first sign of Spring eagerly awaited each year by residents of the North Shore and all of Long Island.

The Parade begins to form up at 12 noon in the area of the Finley Middle School on Forest Avenue. It steps off at 1 pm, following the usual route through downtown Glen Cove to St. Patrick’s Church. There is very ample parking in the municipal garages and at the end of the parade route. Shuttle buses will run between the parking areas and the formation area.

The parade is followed by a fun family-friendly After-Parade Party at St. Patrick’s Parish Hall, at the end of the parade route. Admission is $15 and includes an authentic Irish meal, music, raffles, Irish stepdancers and pipers and an Irish sodabread contest. Pay for admission easily and safely here.

The heart of the parade, as always, will be its exciting mix of marching groups, including many bands of Irish pipers and other bands, along with vintage cars, costumed performers, face painters, fire and police units and much more. The parade is a true community celebration of the coming of Spring with many of our areas’ ethnic organizations, often in costume, taking part. Come, join the fun!

The Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade receives NO public or municipal financial support. We depend solely on corporate sponsorship and individual donations to the Glen Cove Parade Committee Inc. Please visit glencoveparade.com/support/ to review tax deductible support opportunities. All parade expenses are paid in this way and all amounts collected in excess of those expenses are donated directly to carefully chosen charities. Our selected charity for the 2020 Parade is the St. Patrick, Glen Cove Council of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. This worthy charity was chosen because of its dedicated service to the people of our community.

For more information, please visit the parade website at www.glencoveparade.com, call or text 516-782-7494 or email anpiobaire@aol.com.

Gerry Herbert, 2020 Grand Marshal

January 27, 2020 by Robert P. Lynch

Gerry Herbert, Grand Marshal, 2020 Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade

The Grand Marshal of the 2020 Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade is Glen Cove businessman, Gerard “Gerry” Herbert, a native of County Galway, Ireland. A member of St. Patrick’s Parish and of the Glen Cove Ancient Order of Hibernians, he is one of Parade’s long-time organizers.

Gerry was born in Ballyconneely Parish, the youngest of five children born to John and Bridget Herbert. His four siblings were born in England, where his parents had emigrated before returning home to Ireland. Gerry attended St. Brigid National School in Ballyconneely and went to secondary school at Clifden Community School. His education continued thereafter at the National Fishing Training Centre in County Donegal. He went on to work on fishing trawlers sailing from Roundstone, back home in Connemara.

Gerry met a beautiful Galway girl, Susan, from Ballinfad, Galway, in 1986. They emigrated to the U.S. in 1988, first to San Francisco, where Gerry worked in the construction and moving businesses, before coming to the east coast to join Gerry’s sister, who lived in Sea Cliff. Gerry worked at Glengarriff Rehab and Healthcare Center in Glen Cove. There, he became interested in HVAC systems and trained for that field at BOCES. After working for air conditioning companies Gerry and a partner started their own business in 2000 and, in 2003 he established Twelve Pins Mechanical, Ltd., the full service heating and air conditioning company he continues to operate in Glen Cove.

Gerry and Susan Herbert have three children, Stephanie, an event planner, Keith, employed at a supply house in Hicksville, and Noeleen, a student at Finlay Middle School. Gerry’s other great passion, in addition to his family and business, is golf. An avid player, he has been a member of the Glen Cove Men’s Golf Club since 2005 and may be found at the Glen Cove Golf Course every Sunday.

Members and friends of the local Irish community look forward to marching proudly behind Gerry as he leads the 2020 Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade. For more information, please visit www.glencoveparade.com, or call/text 516-782-7494.

The Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade is run by the

Eric Hill, 2020 Aide to the Grand Marshal

January 26, 2020 by Robert P. Lynch

Eric Hill, Aide to the Grand Marshal, 2020 Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Eric Hill was born and raised in Glen Cove and graduated from Glen Cove High School and was inspired to pursue a career in the automotive industry. Eric was accepted into the New England Institute of Technology and received with a Bachelor’s and two Associates degrees in the automotive field. Upon graduation he received a full time position as an automotive technician at the local Honda dealer, an accomplishment which proved a steppingstone to fulfillment of his potential a few years later when he was employed at Ferrari/Maserati of Long Island. Eric can now proudly say that he has been working with that company for the past eight years. He has become Maserati factory trained and looking forward to more training with the company’s latest represented brand, Alfa Romeo.

Eric was fortunate enough to have as his parents Fred and Linda Hill, who provided him with a deep appreciation of the outdoors. Through hard work, they were able to provide the means for him and his brother Dustin Hill to learn the joys of camping, traveling and water sports.

Because of Fred and Linda’s hard work, Dustin and Eric were able ski frequently and, beginning at age ten, to learn the skill of riding dirt bikes. He is an avid rider to this day, and even takes overnight trips. Eric, his family and friends have ridden their motorcycles in the Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade in memory of Dustin Hill every year since his passing in 2002.

At the age of 13, Eric flew to Ireland alone and stayed with cousins for two weeks. They showed him the vast array of wonders Ireland has to offer. This trip inspired him to join the Mike Moran Division 8 of the Ancient Order of Hibernians at the age of 18. Eric’s leadership skills led to his selection in 2018 as Division President of Division 8 in 2018, a position he still holds. Eric is also currently the Vice President of the Glen Cove Parade Committee and is Sentinel on the AOH Nassau County Board.

Eric is proud to have been selected as one of the Aides to the Grand Marshall of the Glen Cove 2020 St. Patrick’s Day Parade. He embodies the core Irish values of love, loyalty and friendship and says: “May the saddest day of your future be no worse than the happiest day of your past”.

Carolyn McGillicuddy, Aide to the Grand Marshal, 2020

January 25, 2020 by Robert P. Lynch

Carolyn McGillicuddy Aide to the Grand Marshal 2020

Carolyn Masterson McGillicuddy is the second child born to Richard and Alicia Masterson, both originally from Brooklyn, who relocated to New Hyde Park in 1968, then to Garden City, where Carolyn and her sister, Christine, were raised. Carolyn attended St. Anne’s School, Garden City Junior High, and Our Lady of Mercy Academy, and graduated from Adelphi University with a BA in Communications in 1991. After graduation she accepted employment with the U.S. Information Agency in Washington, D.C. Although the work was interesting, Carolyn felt the calling to pursue a career in teaching, and subsequently moved to Arizona to attend Graduate school for Elementary Education. She lived in the Phoenix area for six years, marrying in 1995 and welcoming her daughter Tara in 1998. After teaching for three years in Arizona, Carolyn returned to Long Island with Tara to be close to her family, and in 2000 was offered a position with the Baldwin School District.

In 2003 Carolyn met Tom McGillicuddy, and it felt like they had been friends for a lifetime. Tom was raising his son Patrick alone, and Carolyn was raising Tara alone. Both children were the same age and in the same grade in school, and the families fit together seamlessly. Tommy and Carolyn were married in 2005 and have raised two exceptional children together. Tara is preparing to graduate from Boston University with a BA in Anthropology, and Patrick is proudly serving in the U.S. Air Force. Tom has been a volunteer firefighter for 35 years and has served as Chief and Trustee of the Glenwood Fire Company. After retiring from the NYPD, he re-joined his Teamsters Union Local 282, and started riding Harley Davidsons. Carolyn’s favorite family vacation was a drive across Ireland, including at visit to Carolyn’s grandmother’s birthplace of Fethard in Co. Tipperary. The McGillicuddy’s have been parishioners of St. Patrick’s for over 17 years. Carolyn volunteers with organizations including the St. Patrick’s Food Pantry, the Nassau County Feis, the St. Christopher’s Toy Run, the Knights of Columbus Thanksgiving Dinner, and at The Feast of St. Rocco.

Carolyn is a dedicated educator who has taught all elementary grades in her 20-year tenure in Baldwin. She is a union representative for her school and an active member of the district’s mentoring program. She works closely with at- risk-children who benefit from positive role models in their lives. Carolyn is a lifelong learner. She has earned two Master’s Degrees, one in Curriculum and Instruction and one in Teaching Literacy, and holds an Advanced Masters Certificate in Children’s Literature.

Carolyn joined the LAOH, Division 8 in 2014 and was soon encouraged to take an officer position. She served as President during 2018 and 2019. Five new members joined the division while she served. She currently serves as Treasurer and is the appointed Freedom for All Ireland Officer for Nassau County.

In her first Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Carolyn and her kids were excited to help carry the giant shamrock balloon while Tom marched with the Fire Department. This year she is honored to march this year as an Aide to the Grand Marshal, Gerry Herbert and Aide to the Grand Marshal Eric Hill.

Patrick “Patsy” Furlong, 2019 Grand Marshal

January 13, 2019 by Robert P. Lynch

Patrick “Patsy” Furlong, Grand Marshal, 2019 St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Glen Cove, NY, January 13, 2019: The Glen Cove Parade Committee, Inc., organizers of the Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade, has announced the selection of Patrick “Patsy” Furlong as Grand Marshal of the Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Mr. Furlong is a native of County Wexford, Ireland, and a longtime resident of Glen Cove, where he owns a successful landscaping business and has been a beloved member of the staff at All Saints Regional Catholic School for the past twenty years. Patrick is an active member of the Glen Cove Hibernians and has been instrumental in promoting the Parade for many years.

Patrick Furlong was born on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 1958 in New Ross, County Wexford, Ireland, the eldest son of the Ellen and Joseph Furlong. He was educated at Poulpeasty School and the New Ross Vocational School.

Upon graduation, Patrick became interested in the trucking business, ultimately finding him driving tractor-trailers literally across the length and breadth of Ireland, from Wexford in the southeast corner or the country all the way to County Donegal in the far northwest.

It wasn’t until April 8, 1983, when Patsy’s brother, Martin, asked him to be Best Man at his wedding, that Patsy gave any thought to emigrating to the United States. That day he had the good fortune of meeting the beautiful Nancy Merrick of Sea Cliff, Long Island, who was to become his spouse, in 1988. Patsy became a proud U.S. citizen in 2002.

Patsy and Nancy live in Glen Cove, Long Island with their daughter, Emily. Patrick is a valued member of the community, known fondly to generations of students at All Saints as their devoted “Mr. Patsy”, who escorts them to school from their buses each morning and, as head custodian, has their historic school building in pristine condition. He does all this while also running his own landscaping business, pursuing his love of gardening and the outdoors.

Patrick Furlong has been an exemplary Hibernian since 1983. He has held positions as Marshal and Recording Secretary. The clearest signs of the high esteem in which Patsy is held by his sister and brother Hibernians are the facts that he was named Aide to the Grand Marshal of the Parade in 2003 and that he has now received the the highest honor, that of leading us all as Grand Marshal of on his 61st Birthday, of the Glen Cove St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade 3/17/19

January 13, 2019 by Robert P. Lynch

The 31st Annual Glen Cove Saint Patrick’s Day Parade takes place on St. Patrick’s Day itself, Sunday, March 17, 2019. The parade is the premier St. Patrick’s Day celebration on Long Island. This year is one of the very rare occasions when the Parade takes place on St. Patrick’s Day itself. We are able to this because the New York St. Patrick’s Day Parade takes place on Saturday when St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Sunday.

The Grand Marshal of this year’s parade is Patrick “Patsy” Furlong. Patrick is a native of County Wexford, Ireland and a longtime resident of Glen Cove, where he runs a landscaping business and has been a beloved staff member at All Saints Regional Catholic School for twenty years.

The Parade has taken place annually since 1989. It has grown to be the largest annual parade in Glen Cove and a joyous celebration that is eagerly awaited each Spring by all residents of the North Shore and the entire Long Island community.

The parade is followed by a family-friendly post-parade party at St. Patrick’s Parish Hall, at the end of the parade route.

The heart of the parade, as always, will be its exciting mix of marching groups, including many bands of Irish pipers and other marching bands. Further color will be added to the festivities by vintage cars, costumed performers, face painters, fire and police units and much more. The parade is a true community celebration of the coming of Spring with many of our areas’ ethnic organizations, often in costume, taking part. Come, join the fun!

For more information, please visit the parade website at www.glencoveparade.com or call 516-782-7494.

William “Bill” Doherty, 2018 Grand Marshal

January 7, 2018 by Robert P. Lynch

Grand Marshal Bill Doherty, with his wife, Teresa

William (Bill) Doherty was born May 1, 1950 in Russianside, Cheekpoint, Co. Waterford, Ireland, the son of fisherman/seaman Andrew and his wife, Nancy Doherty. He was raised in a small cottage with his four sisters, Elizabeth, Agnes, Brigid, and Ann. In his younger years, he lived near the River Suir and worked on the salmon and herring fishing boats which plied their trade in small fishing villages along the Suir Estuary.

Bill was 17 when he met his future wife, Teresa, while working the ferryboat at Great Island, Waterford. During their years of courting, it wasn’t unusual for Bill to walk five miles to meet Teresa at the neighboring village of Ballygunner. They were married on March 18, 1972 at St John’s Church, Parnell Street, Waterford City.

After working the summer of 1972 in Dingle, Co. Kerry, Bill and his new bride made the life-altering decision to emigrate at 22 years of age to Long island, New York. Bill and Teresa were sponsored by his sister, Brigid. Bill and Teresa lived initially in Lindenhurst, with the Winters Family, before moving to Saint James, where their son, Ryan, was born in 1974. They settled in Glen Cove in 1977, to be closer to Bill’s job, at Ever-Ready Sanitation.

Around that time, Bill became a parishioner of St Patrick’s, Glen Cove, where he met other AOH members, such as Mike Moran, and became a member of Division 8. In 1979, Bill and Teresa’s daughter, Tara Ann was born. Bill was then employed by Daniello and Son in Locust Valley. In 1983, Andrew John was born and for the next decade Bill raised his growing family in Glen Cove, often sending the kids to Ireland for the summers so that he could work hard, sometimes at 3 jobs, 7 days a week.

In 1989, Bill and other Hibernians formed a small committee to start a St Patrick’s Day Parade in Glen Cove. The parade is now celebrating its 30th Anniversary as the only Hibernian sponsored parade in Nassau County, growing over the years to become the premier celebration of Irish heritage and culture on the North Shore.

In 1990, Bill and his family, realizing their “American Dream” bought their own home and moved to Bayville. During his many years of working and living on the North Shore, Bill was always willing to lend a hand at AOH events such as the Project Children Cruise and the Coney Island Great Irish Fair. Bill was always willing to help young Irish immigrants looking for work. Bill served as AOH Division 8 President from 1990 to 1992.

In February, 2005, Bill and Teresa made the decision to return “home” to run the world-famous Saratoga Bar on the scenic strand of Woodstown, Co. Waterford, made famous by a visit from the Kennedy Family in the 1960’s. Bill the Publican, a natural behind the bar, worked hard at building up the bar’s tourist trade and local customer base. He enjoyed his eleven years managing the bar along with his sidekick, Teresa, behind the stick. He treated everyone entering his premise with warm courtesy and respect.

In 2016, a major flood nearly destroyed the pub but it was rebuilt better than ever. With the passing of some family members and the ever-growing grandchild count, Bill and Teresa made the choice to return once more to the Gold Coast to enjoy semi-retirement and the fruits of their labor. Lucky for us! Life came full circle; Bill now works part-time with his nephews at Winter Bros Waste Systems, one of the largest private sanitation companies on Long Island.

Bill is truly honored to be chosen as Grand Marshal of the 2018 Glen Cove St Patrick’s Day Parade and he is humbled to be considered amongst the elite group of twenty-nine illustrious people who have been given this special honor over the past three decades. His selection as Grand Marshal is a celebration of what an immigrant with a hard work ethic and love for both Ireland and America can accomplish over a life well lived.

Bill wishes to thank the Parade Committee for its hard work and dedication to keeping the Parade running and growing. It is truly fitting on this milestone anniversary year that the parade pays tribute to one of its founders on the same day that Bill and Teresa celebrate their 46th Wedding Anniversary! The Doherty’s, their three children and seven grandchildren will lead the parade with well-deserved pride.

Kevin C. Horton, 2018 Aide to the Grand Marshal

January 6, 2018 by Robert P. Lynch

Kevin C. Horton
Aide to the Grand Marshal, 2018

Kevin C. Horton is an accomplished author, journalist, professor and editor who resides in Sea Cliff and is well known for his service to our community. He was born in Glen Cove and raised in Sea Cliff from the age of three.

Kevin’s parents are Robert Horton and the late Patricia Campbell Horton, journalist and owner of the Sea Cliff/Glen Cove Times and founder, in 1991, along with Kevin, of the Glen Cove Gazette, a weekly newspaper on the North Shore of Long Island. Kevin produced and edited that newspaper for 25 years until selling the publication in 2016.

Kevin attended Sea Cliff Elementary school, the Fidel School in Glen Cove, North Shore Middle School. He graduated from North Shore High School in 1985, and from the NYIT Communication Arts program in 1991, with high honors.

Upon graduation he started the Gold Coast Gazette in 1991 along with his mother. With thousands of subscribers, this weekly publication has since gone on to receive many awards and is considered the number one source for reliable, fair and balanced news for five communities on the North Shore of Long Island.

Kevin is a member of the New York Press Association and the Long Island Press Association. Debuting in September 2011, he produced and starred in “Kevin’s Corner TV” a Cablevision show featuring local personalities and stories. The show still enjoys life on its own YouTube Channel.

Kevin owns an online marketing business called www.urfamilyfirst.info and is an adjunct professor of Journalism at New York Institute of Technology. He is an avid car enthusiast and actually owned a few of the cars featured in his latest children’s book titled, “Cee Jay and Bugsy”.

“After more than 25 years in the field of Journalism I can say, with strong conviction, it has been an amazing ride. I love the field, the challenges, the trials and tribulations and I am excited about where the profession is headed,” said Horton

In the Spring of 2013 Kevin returned to NYIT as a professor of Journalism and is currently teaching Introduction to Journalism, News Gathering, and assisting with television production department. He Is also the advisor of the Campus Slate, the same publication he was editor of when he was an undergraduate at NYIT. “My experience in the field of communication has been a great ride and now I’m enjoying sharing that ride with the next generation of journalists to ensure that this amazing field continues to flourish for generations to come.“

Kevin and his family have been part of the very fabric of Long Island for centuries. A paternal ancestor, Barnabas Horton, was one of the original European migrants to this area, arriving in Southold before the year 1640. The Horton family are active parishioners at St. Boniface Martyr Parish, where he married his wife, Milkenia, in 1992. Kevin and Milkenia have two children, Kacey, age 20, and Samantha, age 15.