Irish pride on parade in Kings Park

In 1880, Mary Alice Dowling's great-grandmother left County Galway, Ireland, and settled in Kings Park.

Four generations, including her grandfather who was born on St. Patrick's Day in 1902, have lived in town along or near East Northport Road.

Saturday, Dowling, her children, friends and relatives lined up along that same street to watch the first Kings Park St. Patrick's Day parade.

"It's long overdue," Dowling said. "We were just teary eyed all morning."

Hundreds of people lined the roads and sidewalks as 85 groups rode, danced, marched and twirled along the 1.5-mile parade route, celebrating Irish heritage and all things green. Even the weather cooperated, with sunny skies and temperatures in the 50s. Call it the luck of the Irish.

"It's an Irish community and this community needs something to make everyone happy," said parade president Kevin Denis, who helped plan the event. "Look at the sky. Look at the day."

Pipe and drum bands, bagpipers, dance troupes, school groups and fire and police departments participated. The crowd cheered and clapped as Kings Park Fire Truck No. 1 readied for the parade, its operators clanging a metal bell and winding a hand-cranked siren.

Matthew Brophy, 8, stood with his mom, Rita, waiting his turn to walk. Wearing bright green sunglasses and a hat rimmed in kelly green, the third-grader at Hauppauge's Pines Elementary was walking in honor of his father, Thomas Brophy, an NYPD officer who became ill after working at the World Trade Center site and died in 2005.

"It's like the first parade I've ever had," Matthew said. "I kind of like it."

As for walking the route? "I'm up for it," he said.

So, too, was Mary Mullen, a Kings Park resident for 50 years. She was in a turquoise blue 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible driven by friend John Fontana, renamed O'Fontana for the day. "I'm glad to see all the young Irish come out," Mullen said.

That included Celtic Crossing Tavern float-rider Damien Bonner, clad head to toe in a skintight green jumpsuit. "I am here, throwing out some candy and just bringing the whole world cheer," he said.