Thousands of people lined Broadway for the 2012 St. Patrick’s Parade on Sunday, March 18, joining Grand Marshall Sean Neary, a native of Ireland who has resided in Bayonne since 1985. Neary’s mother flew in from Ireland to help celebrate the event that included The Bridgeman Drum and Bugle Corps., the Bayonne High School marching band and a host of other musical entertainment. But the there was as much entertainment on the sidelines as people young and old displayed their green, and shouted with delight at the passing spectacle.
This was an unusually large crowd, probably brought out by the warmer than usual weather, giving Bayonne and the region an early spring.
The event also featured marchers from the Bayonne Police and Fire departments, as well as the Hudson County Sheriff’s Department, and Irish groups not just from Bayonne, but from around Hudson County and the surrounding region. Also represented were all of the local schools, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, and Girl Scouts.