Parade Organizers Don't Want to See a Rainbow Saturday

Lil Tirschman is "praying to the wee people" that it doesn't rain Saturday.

The co-organizer of Dundalk's annual St. Patrick's Day parade is hoping — and asking for the assistance of leprechauns — that the procession can take place as scheduled.

Weather has not been kind to the parade in its short history. This year will be the procession's sixth, and weather has canceled it twice — once for rain and another because of snow and ice.

"The last I saw, they're calling for rain on Saturday," Tirschman said. "And if it rains, my pipers can't come out, and my antique cars can't come out."

The parade began as a nod to Dundalk's Irish roots. Tirschman was always amazed the town founded by bellmaker Henry McShane didn't have a St. Patrick's Day parade, and she set out to change that.

Descendants of McShane still live in Dundalk, and they are prominently honored in the procession.

Alfred and Mary "Paddy" McShane serve as honorary grand marshals, and their entire family of children and grandchildren march in the parade.

Cathy O'Connor, First Secretary, Embassy of Ireland, will serve as Grand Marshal, Tirschman said.

The parade will include the Baltimore City Pipe Band, eight individual bagpipe players, antique fire engines and cars, Boy Scout and Cub Scout packs, color guard units, the Aisquith Sharpshooters, business and high school floats and clowns.

The hard work and organizing is done, said Tirschman, who along with Scott Gardner plans the parade for the Dundalk Chamber of Commerce.

Now she has to sit back and depend on something completely out of her control — the weather.

"I'll make that call Friday," she said Tuesday of a possible weather cancellation. "If they're still saying isolated thunderstorms, I'm going to go for it.

Dundalk's St. Patrick's Day Parade Details:

When: 11 a.m. Saturday

Where: Kicks off from the Logan Village Shopping Center on Dundalk Avenue and proceeds to Belclare Road, Liberty Parkway, Dunglow Road, Dunmanway, Shipping Place and Shipway before disbanding on Playfield Street at Dundalk Elementary School.

Sponsor: Dundalk Chamber of Commerce