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New York is shamrocking and rolling.
An estimated 2 million St. Patrick’s Day partiers braved the cold to paint the Big Apple green for its 265th annual Irish parade Tuesday — with droves keeping warm by knocking back a few Guinnesses.
Dennis Dunn of Yonkers was one of many revelers who kicked off the day’s festivities with a beer and Irish breakfast at Connelly’s before making their way to the Fifth Avenue in Manhattan to watch largest Irish parade in the world.
Dunn, 62, even coated his face with the green, white and orange colors of the Irish flag and wore a green t-shirt covered in pins related to the motherland for the occasion.
“Saint Patrick’s Day is about Irish tradition, and my tradition is coming to the parade and getting all dressed up,” Dunn told The Post.
“After the parade, we are going to head home and have lunch and have corned beef for dinner. Well, we will have some Guinness, some beers.”
Jim Burke, 60, dyed his beard green for the fete — which he typically marches in but decided to spend this year’s holiday as an observer.
“I’ve been to a zillion of these parades and usually love marching in them being apart of the community,” Burke said.
About 150,000 people marched in the parade, including Irish step dancers, bagpipers and the newly minted Archbishop of New York, Ronald Hicks.
The total crowd estimate was put at around 2 million, similar to past years.
This year’s grand marshal was Bob McCann, co-chair of NewEdge Capital Group and owner of Forest Creek Golf Club in North Carolina.
McCann, whose ancestors hail from County Armagh on the Emerald Isle, was plucked to lead the event because of his three decades of service as a board member of New York City’s Irish Arts Center, where he advocates for a strengthened cultural and civic relationship between Ireland and the US.
The president of the County Armagh Association made the trek from Ireland and marched alongside McCann and thousands of other proud Irishmen and women.
“This parade is made up of the counties of Ireland that are here in America, all 32 are here,” said President Kathleen Keegan Mattessich, 79.
“This parade is heritage. We’re representing our country here and there in Ireland.”
Alison McDermott said she made the trip from Ireland to experience the parade for the first time.
“This has been a great atmosphere, absolutely brilliant. Just lovely to see so many Irish connections,” said McDermott, 45.
“My favorite tradition would definitely be drinking … Guinness. That’s how we socialize in Ireland, by drinking and chat[ting] with friends and family.”
For many attendees, the annual parade gives them the chance to form connections with not only fellow Irish New Yorkers but lads and lassies from across the globe.
“The parade really brings you back to your roots, and you really run into people that maybe you haven’t seen, and it also just makes you very proud to be Irish,” said Eileen Arrington, 59, who has attended the St. Pat’s Parade every year.
“I just love the marching and seeing people and just feeling like the community has come together with everything that’s going on in the world. It’s nice to just have a day,” Arrington said, adding that her favorite Irish tradition is “dancing.”
English (US)