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Irish Flag Raised At City Hall In Recognition Of St. Patrick's Day

WAMC

Massachusetts is the most Irish state in the country, with just over 21 percent of the population saying they are of Irish descent.  So, it is not surprising Saint Patrick’s Day is cause for ceremony and celebration.

   About 200 people gathered in front of Springfield City Hall Tuesday morning and watched the green, white, and orange flag of Ireland raised up a pole to fly over the city hall plaza for the day.

   Many in the crowd came dressed for the occasion. There were plenty of green hats, ties and scarves along with cardigan sweaters.   The city’s Italian American mayor wore an Irish tri-color scarf as he read a proclamation.

   Mayor Domenic Sarno talked about the important role the Irish played in the city’s history. First, as  labors who in the late 1800’s built much of the city’s early infrastructure. Later the Irish became business leaders and dominated city politics. They held public service jobs predominately in the police and fire departments.

"They really built the city of Springfield," he said.

Springfield does not have a Saint Patrick’s Day parade,but there is a parade committee.  Springfield and other Pioneer Valley communities will be represented by marchers and floats in this Sunday’s Saint Patrick’s Day parade in Holyoke.  The traditional event typically attracts tens of thousands of spectators.

   Springfield’s grand marshal is Eric Devine, an information technology specialist for a local bank, whose father was a parade grand marshal.

" I was honored and humbled to accept the award. A lot of hard working people in our community make things happen and I am happy to be part of it," he said.

  Devine said his role as Springfield parade grand marshal does not stop after Sunday.  It is a year-long commitment to attend other parades, dinners and social events.

   Springfield’s colleen for the parade is 19- year -old Molly Sullivan a freshman nursing student at Elms College.

   " It is a great honor to represent Springfield as the colleen. It is wonderful to pay tribute to teh hard work, determination and faith of my great grandparents who emigrated to America to pursue a better life for their posterity," she said.

  March is the highlight for the Springfield Parade Committee, but president Kerry Sullivan-Hussey said the volunteer organization works year round on events and activities to promote and preserve Irish culture and tradition.

  A number of people given awards by the committee for service to the Springfield Irish community were introduced to the crowd at Tuesday’s flag raising.

The record-setting tenure of Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno. The 2011 tornado and its recovery that remade the largest city in Western Massachusetts. The fallout from the deadly COVID outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers Home. Those are just a few of the thousands and thousands of stories WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill has covered for WAMC in his nearly 17 years with the station.
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