Bay Ridge St. Patrick’s Day Parade hosts annual dinner dance

BAY RIDGE– Irish eyes were certainly smiling at the Bay Ridge St. Patrick’s Day Parade dinner dance as elected officials, family and friends gathered to salute this year’s esteemed parade marshals.

Honorees for the 27th Annual Bay Ridge St. Patrick’s Day Parade — which will be held on Sunday, March 22 — were recognized at the gala event which took place at El Caribe at 5945 Strickland Ave. in Mill Basin on Saturday, March 7.

The 2019 parade’s grand marshal is community leader Linda Gallagher-Lomanto. “I’m very humbled and proud that the committee has chosen me to lead the 27th Bay Ridge St Patrick’s Day Parade down Third Avenue,” Gallagher-Lomanto told this paper.

“The parade committee and its sponsors have done a wonderful job keeping Irish culture and heritage thriving in Bay Ridge. Congratulations to all my fellow honorees, and I’m looking forward to a warm, sunny day on Sunday, March 22.”

Deputy marshals for the 27th annual parade include Meaghan McGoldrick, Judy Conway, Tracy McDonagh-Joerss, Eileen Tynion, Kristine Woods-Hansen, Eric DiRamio, Christopher Cody, Steven McEvoy, Billy Murphy and John Ward.

“It’s such a tremendous honor to be a deputy marshal at this year’s parade,” said Tynion. “It’s the thrill of a lifetime and I have my family and friends here with me tonight. I’m just delighted,” she added.

McGoldrick said that it felt very surreal to be honored. “It’s very humbling to be recognized as a deputy marshal, and I’m just thrilled to keep the tradition going.”

The honorary Irishman of the year was Romeo Petric, who was born in Zadar, Croatia, but has served as parish athletic representative for the CYO Sports program at St. Patrick since 2002. He has also been involved in nearly every facet of the parish’s sports programs for over 25 years including soccer, baseball, basketball and swimming, as well as serving as the commissioner for each program.

“I’m humbled and honored to be the Bay Ridge Parade’s honorary Irishman,” said Petric. “There’s no better place and no better people.”

The Claddagh Award recipients were Barbara Slattery, Bill Boshell and Tom Maclellan.

Elected officials and community leaders attending included U.S. Rep. Max Rose, State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, former State Sen. Marty Golden, former New York State Conservative Party Chair Mike Long and attorney Mike Connors, his wife Beth and son Michael Connors.

This year’s honorary Irish family of the year recognition was bestowed upon the Mayrose family and its patriarch and matriarch, Arthur and Eileen Mayrose.

“Initially, I thought the recognition was just for me alone and I really wasn’t sure about it,” Arthur told this paper.

“But then they said, ‘No, we mean your entire family,’ and then I thought, oh, this will really be fun because when you look at the entire family from my oldest son Eddie to my youngest granddaughter Maeve, everybody has done something in sports, has done something with mentoring young kids, fundraising for various churches in the community; everyone in the family has done something remarkable. You don’t realize it because being involved has just always been our way of life,” he added.