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Shamrock Shakedown!
Detroit's St. Patrick's Day Parade

The infamous luck of the Irish may be a bit ... well, perhaps drastically overblown. In fact, one might reasonably argue that the onset of a blight against the people’s primary crop and food source has little, if anything, to do with good fortune. They are, however, a proud and complicated people, and if not filled with luck, then certainly with Guinness (kidding!).

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Of course, in a city starved for its own version of fabled Gaelic fortune, the Irish presence is something of an anomaly — a unique curiosity amongst the more prominent communities of Poles, Jews and African Americans. This is one great reason why Detroit, each and every year since the roaring ‘20s, has played host to its own incarnation of the St. Patrick’s Day parade — a yearly spectacle that, at least in part, clears up some of the mysticism surrounding the Irish community while establishing what Detroit’s Emerald Isle presence is really about.

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“I got involved with my parents Joann and Larry Kelly, back when we were pulled along Woodward Ave. in a red wagon painted green,” recalls Michael Kelly, chairman of the parade and Vice President of the United Irish Societies — the organization responsible for bringing Detroit’s parade to the people every year. “In the 19th century, St. Patrick’s parades were a big thing in Detroit, but by the early-20th century, the custom had died out. The United Irish Societies held the first parade held in Dearborn in 1959. It was an instant success and there has been a UIS parade every year since.”

Naturally, carrying on the mighty legacy of a tradition that harkens back to the 19th century (and even farther back than that, if you want to count the holiday’s conception as beginning with St. Patty’s dalliance with those pesky Irish snakes) is no small feat to carry out. Year after year, the UIS and Detroit’s legions of dedicated Irish descendants manage to do just that. With the recent dawning of the new millennium and the even more recent turning over of the decade, pressure has been on to keep Detroit’s parade fresh and inspired; a continually interesting event to draw not only the Irish but all of Detroit’s citizens in from the barracks and onward to the festivities.

“This year’s parade has special meaning for the Detroit Irish community,” says Kelly. “Every year, the UIS selects a grand marshal as a reward for their lifelong contributions to the Irish community. This year’s grand marshals are John and Kathleen Treanor. John was born in Monaghan County, Ireland, and Kathleen was born in County Mayo, Ireland. From eight-years-old, John insisted that he would someday live in America. They are a very proud Irish-American couple.”

So now that we know at least two pairs of Irish eyes are going to be smiling, what are the rest of us slightly-less-green Detroiters to do? In a parade meant to be celebrated as an ethnic festivity not exclusive to its nationality of origin, how are the rest of us lads and lasses to latch on to Detroit’s proud Irish heritage?

“The parade has great appeal based on the Irish community in Detroit and the awareness of Irish culture,” says Kelly. “Detroit’s St. Patrick’s parade is not the oldest or the biggest, but we’re very proud of the city of Detroit as most of the Irish immigrants moved to Detroit and Corktown. The Detroit St. Patrick’s Day parade is Detroit’s oldest continuous ethnic parade. We feel it is important to keep our parade in Detroit as it represents our heritage and traditions.”  | RDW

Detroit’s St. Patrick’s Day parade • 3/14, 2 p.m. • Begins on 6th Street, marches down Michigan Ave to 14th Street

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Parade Day Shenanigans

Nemo’s
Nemo’s is running the quintessential parade day setup — a heated tent, good food all day, cold beer and great Guinness. Known for running a killer shuttle to Tigers and Wings games alike, Nemo’s' friendly, sports-driven atmosphere greens up nicely for the parade ruckus.
1384 Michigan Avenue • 313.965.3180 • nemosdetroit.com.

Corktown Tavern
The biggest parade party on Michigan Avenue is happening at Corktown Tavern. Grab a pre-parade breakfast burrito (catered by Zumba from Royal Oak) between nine and noon and stop back after the parade for corned beef sandwiches. They’ve got continuous live music from noon to eight, including Irish rockers the Kreelers and Van Halen cover band Panama; 89X will be broadcasting live from 4 to 6, plus Real D’s “Best Burlesque” winners, The Dizzy Dames, will be on hand to serve shots ranging from Jell-O to Jameson. Both floors of the bar will be open, plus a huge tent outside. With specials on Jameson and the Guinness flowing freely all day, Corktown Tavern is definitely the place to be.  And the best part is, there’s no cover charge for any of it.
1716 Michigan Avenue • 313.964.5103 • corktowntavern.com.

Slows Bar-BQ
Slows has the guts to branch out from corned beef on parade day. They’ll be serving up a handful of their signature menu items (including a vegetarian “chik’n” sammie, homemade mac ‘n’ cheese and succulent pulled pork sandwiches) and running a coffee bar (featuring brews from local Great Lakes Coffee). They’re also running $5 pints of a wide selection of beers, with a mix of local brews and imports. To keep you entertained while you stuff your face, they’ve got three bands and the patio’s open from 12 till 8.
2138 Michigan Avenue • 313.962.9828 • slowsbarbq.com.

LJ’s Lounge
LJ’s has their finger on the pulse of the parade — this year, they’re bringing in Port-a-Potties. Yes, you read that right. The idea is: once everybody has gotten good and plastered, they’ll all have to empty their bladders. There are always the horrific stories of waiting an hour or more for Port-a-Potty access on parade day (told in a manner usually reserved for war stories or fish tales), so LJ’s is hoping to draw a crowd. They’ve got beer, Jell-O shots, grill food and chemical toilets! What more does a parade-goer need?
2114 Michigan Avenue • 313.962.0013 • myspace.com/ljslounge.

PJ’s Lager House
Corktown’s classic dive is going to be rocking on parade day, with green-draped partiers cramming in. Celt-rockers Bill Grogan’s Goat will be hitting the stage directly after the parade to serenade the garbled masses. There’s going to be “tons of people and tons of beer” and “lots and lots of Jameson,” as the typical post-parade drunkenness takes hold.
1254 Michigan Avenue • 313.961.4668 • pjslagerhouse.com.

Gaelic League Irish American Club
It doesn’t get much more authentic than the scene at the actual Gaelic League. After the parade, head inside to the bar, grab a pint and chat with somebody who knows more about the Emerald Isles than anybody else in The D. They’re going to have two stages running live music all day, from noon till the wee hours. League members get in free but everybody else is $10.
2068 Michigan Avenue • 313.964.8700 • gaelicleagueofdetroit.org.

O’Blivions Corktown Café
Serving up corned beef sandwiches and a bunch of beer, O’Blivions is also boasting a bright green libation called an “Irish Kiss.” They’ve got Guinness, Smithwick’s and all the usual offenders, so stop there for solid food and good people.
1800 Michigan Avenue • 313.962.1383 • oblivions.net.

Old Shillelagh
Though they're off the Michigan Avenue path, immediately following the parade, the Old Shillelagh will provide a free shuttle service from Corktown to their bar, offering up "good ol' Irish food and good ol' Irish drinkin'!" When Corktown watering holes get too full of sloppy drunks (like us), we count on the Shillelagh to keep the party going.
349 Monroe St • 313.964.0007 • oldshillelagh.com.

McCarthy’s Pub
They’ve picked up Nancy Whiskey’s patrons since the fire in October, and now McCarthy’s is picking up the slack for parade day. They’re cheap and homey — the beer’s cheap every day, not just when there’s a parade around — and they're going to be running $1 Jell-O shots all day. Drop on in.
1600 W. Fort St • 313.496.0626.



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