New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade picks 2023 aides
With New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day parade just over two months away, the event’s board of directors has announced the 14 auxiliaries who will march down Fifth Avenue behind grand marshal Kevin Conway on Friday, March 17.
This year’s assistants are Patrick J. Lynch (Grand Council of United Emerald Societies), Mark Edwards (Queens County), Sean Claffey (New York County), John Doolan (Knights of St. Patrick), Agnes O’Leary (Suffolk County ), John R. O’Brien (Nassau County), Jack (John) McCarrick (Bronx County), Michael J. McKeever (Richmond County), Peter G. Van Slyck (Westchester County), Rita Lydon Lenz (United Irish Counties ), Joe Brady (Aide at Large), Mary Sexton Wingenter (Orange County), Robert John Emmett Murphy (Kings County), Deputy Chief Paul Mannix (FDNY), Dennis Toal (Rockland County) and Bishop Edmund Whalen (Archdiocese of New York ).
“The board of directors thanks the membership organizations for selecting this dedicated and distinguished group of dedicated Irish Americans,” said Sean Lane, parade chairman, in a statement.
The statement added, “The assistant grand marshals are selected annually by participating organizations in the parade in recognition of their outstanding service to the Irish American Community of New York. The selection of a fellow is in recognition of years of selfless, dedicated and distinguished service to the communities of New York and Ireland and for their contribution to the Irish faith, culture and heritage.
“This year we have a bishop, the head of the NYPD Police Benevolent Association union, the national vice president of sales at Heineken USA, the New York State president of LAOH, a deputy chief from the New York Fire Department, a person who has worked with world-renowned television and film producers and the man who has led the 69th Regiment for the past 33 years as regimental chairman. An incredible selection of spectacular Irish Americans!” said Hilary Beirne, who introduced the helpers at last week’s parade delegate meeting.
The statement also included words of praise for Conway, describing him as “a longtime New Yorker living on Long Island with his wife Denise and their children. (He) is very proud of his Irish heritage, tracing his multi-generational heritage in counties Leitrim, Cork, Meath and Limerick.
“Conway is vice chairman of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, LLC, a global private equity firm that he joined in 1997. Prior to joining CD&R, he spent 0 years with Goldman Sachs & Co. as a partner. He is the former chairman and current vice chairman of the board of directors of Student Sponsor Partners, an organization that provides educational opportunities for at-risk inner-city children in New York, and is a trustee of the Carnegie Corporation of New York. He serves on the boards of Catholic Health Services of Long Island and the Catholic Foundation of New York, which administers funds for the Archdiocese of New York in pursuit of the Archdiocese’s religious, charitable, educational and community service activities.
*This column first appeared in the January 11 edition of the weekly Irish Voice, sister publication to IrishCentral.
