200 YEARS OF GREEN

Savannah unveils marker to honor 200th anniversary of St. Patrick’s Day parade

Following the dedication of a historic marker at the site of the former Liberty Square, about 200 people strolled from the Robert E. Robinson Parking Garage, 132 Montgomery St., along the original 1824 St. Patrick’s Day Parade route to the old City Hotel, now Moon River Brewing, 21 W. Bay St.

The Committee to Commemorate the 200th St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Savannah unveiled the historical marker at 1 p.m. Saturday.

City of Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said that the parade was an opportunity to “value what our community could be.”

“We’re so excited for our 200th, what this means for our city,” Johnson continued. “And, in classic Savannah fashion, we’re gonna celebrate like no one has ever celebrated before. As a matter of fact, we told New York they better watch themselves because Savannah might have the biggest celebration in this country this year.”

Before the parade started, District 4 Alderman Nick Palumbo said, “You’re watching history happen.”

“This is the 200th anniversary, this consecrated ground where, for 200 years, ancestors of Irish heritage have walked the same pathway, and it’s truly special to take part in it,” said Palumbo. “This will be a parade that people talk about for generations.”

As the parade began, members of the 200th Parade committee held up commemorative flags. A Savannah Police truck with its lights on led the way, and the Chatham County Sheriff ’s Office Honor Guard trailed behind the car.

As the parade roped around Congress Street, Patrick Rossiter, presi

dent of the Hibernian Society of Savannah, said, “The monument is a wonderful tribute to the Irish in Savannah. I served when the Celtic Cross Monument in Emmet Park was erected in 1983, and so it was nostalgic to see this.”

John Fogarty, chairman of the Committee to Commemorate the 200th St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Savannah, said the parade “really turned out nice.”

“It’s not just for the Irish; it’s really been adopted by the whole city,” Fogarty said about St. Patrick’s Day. “It’s pretty neat to see that on that monument to represent what was done in 1824, reflected to today.”

Drew Favakeh is the public safety and courts reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at AFavakeh@savannahnow.com.

ASHTON MELTON FOR SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS Amy Hatch, President Teri Osborne, Vice President Deana Shores, Janice Sauers, Betty Goette, Connie Bar, Sally Welsh, Hannah Shores, and Debbie Carroll from Daughters of Ireland proudly march on Saturday in Savannah.

ASHTON MELTON FOR SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS Bishop Kevin Boland blesses the St. Patrick's Day plaque with holy water on Saturday in Savannah.