Fifth annual St. Pat's parade-watch at Brien's

Family members and friends gathered once again at Brien's apartment on McLean Avenue to watch the Yonkers St. Patrick's Day Parade.

The early arrivals

The parade, which the McLean Avenue Merchants Association first held in 2012, has been growing every year. It is now the official Yonkers parade for the holiday. And this year Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, served as Grand Marshal, so the event has certainly come into its own.

The cardinal waves to us

Brien's party, first held in 2013, is now a well-established tradition. This year, with a chilly wind and flurries, his apartment was certainly the most comfortable viewing spot. Brien's guests included his siblings Dan (& Julie), Kathy, Kevin (& Kathy); his nieces Genevieve (& John) and Shanna; nephews Patrick and Kevin; grand-niece Bea; cousin Owen, who traveled down from Cape Cod; and friends Robert, Bob and Adele.


Bea was this year's youngest guest - her second birthday was two weeks earlier. She watched the parade avidly, barely budging from her seat on Grandma's lap. "More coming!" she kept saying. And indeed there was more, and more, as the parade went on for more than two hours.


Among the marchers were contingents from schools that some of the guests attended - and in Shanna's case, the school where she currently teaches.

Shanna greets her school's marchers

Click here to see still more photos of the parade and the party.