Did you know that the Gaelic harp is the national symbol of Ireland and not the shamrock? The past few Marches I’ve dedicated this column to St. Patrick’s Day and the parade. I have a special appreciation for it. I don’t recall ever attending anything for St. Patrick’s Day in my life until I moved to Monroe. And when I did move here, the St. Pat’s parade was the first of now many Main Street events for me. Perhaps this appreciation is why I keep learning new things about it: from the fun and the somewhat trivial like the Gaelic harp to the religious and more profound.

These past few Marches, we have had a theme for each St. Patrick’s Day. They have been largely universal — sláinte (health), teaghlach (family), and A Touch of Ireland in the Patchwork of Green County. This year, our committee did not quite land on anything specific. Health and family are as relevant as ever. And the patchworks of Green County and Ireland exist because of the roads that define each “patch.” When we use them, they connect us. They connect us to family, to different cultures, different pockets of life, to life itself. That is still true of course. Regardless of the month and regardless of any holiday.

Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was not Irish and was not originally named Patrick. He was a Romano-British boy born in the fifth century in Wales named Maewyn Succat. He was abducted by pirates, sold into slavery by Irish raiders and forced to tend to sheep in the mountains of Northern Ireland. After escaping, he turned to God, changed his name to Pádraig, and returned to Ireland as a missionary. March 17th is believed to be the day he died. Since his death, the culture of Ireland has exploded all over the world with many more having Irish heritage than Ireland has citizens.

Irish culture is often associated with strong family values, wit, and an appreciation for tradition. Those are likely the reasons that parades like ours have continued since the first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in Boston, MA in 1737. And it is likely the reason we did not settle on any specific theme this year.

What we have settled on is our community’s own history, which when measured by people, is multi-generational and grounding. Skip Brennan, who passed away last March shortly after the annual parade, will be honored by his children who are serving as the grand marshals this year. Skip was 100% Irish and served as the parade grand marshal in 2010.

 He, Mike Doyle, Jim Doyle, and Marty Culhane sat at a table at Bullet’s one St. Patrick’s Day over 40 years ago, stating it’s too bad there wasn’t a parade right in Monroe. Mike, like any good Irishman, had an Irish flag in his car. And with that a Monroe tradition was born.

One year, a young Monroe Times reporter missed the parade and when he asked Brennan about how many people were in attendance, he was told 1,000 people were in the parade and 10,000 watched it. Those numbers were printed in the paper the next day.

According to a Monroe Times interview by Brian Gray in 2010, Skip told the story with a slight smile and sparkle in his eyes. While we have yet to hit those numbers, with its decades of history and memories, I hope you will all have a slight smile and sparkle when you attend the parade.

It’s Monday, March 17th at 5:17 p.m.

— Jordan Nordby is the executive director for Main Street Monroe. He can be reached at MonroeMainStreet@tds.net. Complete details on Main Street Monroe and its efforts can be found at mainstreetmonroe.org.