Grand Marshal Revealed For 50th Annual Greenwich St. Patrick's Day Parade

GREENWICH, CT — This year marks the 50th annual Greenwich St. Patrick's Day parade, and on Monday, it was announced that Haydn O'Shea will serve as grand marshal.

O'Shea will be installed as the grand marshal by the Greenwich Hibernian Association on Saturday, March 7, at the organization's annual St. Patrick's Dinner Dance. The parade will then be held on March 22 at 2 p..m.

Throughout the years, O'Shea has been involved in the community, including serving as president of the Greenwich Hibernian Association for many years. He has also been the voice of the annual St. Patrick's Day parade, serving as emcee and bringing his Irish accent to the festivities.

Additionally, he is a member of the Knights of Columbus Council 39, The Redmen’s Home Association and St. Mary’s Social Concerns.

O’Shea was born in London, England, in 1948 to Seamus and Eily O’Sullivan O’Shea, both of County Cork, Ireland.

When he was 6 months old, the family returned to his mother’s hometown of Passage West, County Cork, Ireland. O'Shea is the oldest of 10 children; he has three brothers and six sisters, all of whom still live in County Cork.

O'Shea attended The Norwood Convent School, The Convent of Mercy School, Passage West National School and Passage West Vocational School. After school, he began work as an electrical estimator at the Verolme Dockyard in Cobh, Ireland where he worked until it closed in 1984.

In 1988, O'Shea emigrated to the United States on a Donnelly Visa, becoming a U.S. citizen in 1995. O'Shea and his wife, Elizabeth Dawson O’Shea, also from County Cork, settled in Greenwich with their son Gavin.

O'Shea currently serves as superintendent/manager of One Milbank Condominiums. He and his wife are proud grandparents to Ryan, Kellen and Quinn, children of their son Gavin and his wife Megan who live in Monroe.

Organizers said they are busy planning for the milestone parade, which they are hoping is the biggest in its history.