Waterford Resident to Lead Mystic Irish Parade

On March 23, more than 30,000 St. Patrick’s Day spectators will fill the streets of Mystic for the one and only Mystic Irish Parade! 

The 11th Annual Mystic Irish Parade will feature more than 120 organizations, each one representing their community with uniquely designed floats and enthusiastic participants! Kicking off at 1 p.m., the parade route will extend from the Mystic Seaport Museum to the Mystic Art Association. Mystic Main Street will be a family friendly celebration for all to enjoy!

In addition to more than 10 Celtic Pipe Bands, Fife & Drum Units, and Drum & Bugle Corps that will contribute festive music, the 2014 Mystic Irish Parade will also feature the band Inchicore! As Boston’s best Irish Folk Band, fronted by Dublin’s Derrick Keane, Inchicore is “widely regarded as one of the top Irish bands in the country, playing to packed venues all over the country,” writes The ECHO. 

With an outstanding stage presence and solid vocals, the Celtic melodies of Inchicore are guaranteed to impress the crowd at the 2014 Mystic Irish Parade!

The parade will also be host to antique cars, adorned fire trucks, police units and local Scout troops. High school area bands will perform as well. More than 1,800 marchers will participate in representing their businesses from Southeastern Connecticut, marching alongside their colorfully designed floats!

In special commemoration of their eleventh year, the Mystic Irish Parade Foundation selected an amazing Grand Marshal of the 2014 Mystic St. Patrick’s Parade! This honor, bestowed to a dedicated member of Southeastern Connecticut, was given to Tony Sheridan, President of the Chamber of Eastern Connecticut.

Mr. Sheridan has served as the chief executive officer of the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut since 2002, representing more than 1,600 companies. 

In 2010, Mr. Sheridan was named the statewide chamber executive of the year. Mr. Sheridan is originally from the beautiful country of Ireland and currently a Waterford resident. The parade is extremely fortunate to have him as this year’s Grand Marshal!

This festive celebration, as well as many other annual area events, are planned and supported by the Mystic Irish Parade Foundation. The Mystic Irish Parade Foundation is 100% volunteer driven, supported by team members dedicated to promoting Irish heritage and organizing a spectacular parade for the community! The MIPF is a registered nonprofit organization and all donations are tax deductible and directly help fund local charities, as well as the annual parade.

The parade, funded by proceeds from these events, the generosity of local business sponsorships and individual sale of raffle tickets, is an annual event that has become a community wide cultural tradition. Surplus funds from the Mystic Irish Parade are donated to local charities, such as Safe Futures (previously known as the Women’s Center of SECT), Mystic Area Shelter & Hospitality (MASH), Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center, Society of St. Edmund’s Retreat Center and the John Kelley Statue Fund. More than $2,000 was donated to these local nonprofit organizations in 2013.