Honorees

2024 Honorees



Patrick T. Murphy
2024 Grand Marshal


Patrick Thomas Murphy was born the third of eight children in Polranny, Achill Parish, County Mayo to Thomas and Angela Murphy. His family came to the United States in 1962 and have been active members of the West Side Irish American Club ever since. He lives in Avon with his wife Carlene and they have three children, Kelly (Kurt), Tim (Samantha) and Danny. Pat is the proud Papa of four grandchildren, Breck, Keegan, Maddie and Gabby.

Pat is a former trustee and officer of the West Side Irish American Club. When he was young he marched with the Junior Fife and Drum Corps, later becoming an instructor and leader of that unit. Pat also marched with the Senior Fife and Drum Corps. In 1983 he became the Club’s Delegate to the United Irish Societies of Greater Cleveland. He was selected as Inside Co-Chair of the Parade in 1985, the same year his mother was the West Side Club’s Woman of the Year. Pat went on to become a Deputy Director, Executive Director and now Director Emeritus of the Parade Committee. As Director Emeritus Pat had the idea to create a published history of the Cleveland Parade. He engaged and worked alongside the Irish American Archives Society to publish The Day We Celebrate, 175 Years of Cleveland's St. Patrick's Day Parade.

Pat is a member of the West Side Irish American Club, the Irish American Club - East Side, and the Mayo Society. He is a founding member and trustee of the Thomas J. Scanlon Irish American Law Society of Cleveland. In 2016 and 2022 Patrick chaired the Law Society’s symposiums in Galway, Dublin and Cork. Pat was honored with the Walks of Life Award from the Irish American Archives Society in 2020 and named the ilrish Person of the Year in 2023. Recently Pat was selected to become a member of the Irish Heritage Advisory Committee for the Irishtown Bend project.

Pat graduated from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1986. He is a partner at Dworken and Bernstein Co. LPA where he has worked for over 35 years. He focuses his practice on nursing home negligence, medical malpractice and wrongful death cases. Pat has been selected to the Irish Legal 100, named as an Ohio Super Lawyer and was voted as a finalist for Trial Lawyer of the Year by Public Justice. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale Hubble.

In addition to his love of all things Irish, Pat enjoys spending time with his family and friends, traveling and gardening. 
Pat is extremely proud of the mission of the United Irish Societies and having had the privilege of working on the Parade Committee for over 40 years.  Pat is honored to be selected as the 2024 Grand Marshal and thanks the United Irish Societies and the West Side Irish American Club.


Patrica Homan
2024 Irish Mother of the Year


Patricia Homan, the daughter of John and Nora O’Donnell Corcoran of County Mayo, is a first-generation Irish American.

Pat grew up in Euclid, Ohio where she attended St. William’s Grade School and went on to Villa Angela High School graduating in 1967. She began her working career at Mid-West Forge Corporation and retired in February 2015.

She is married to Bill Homan. They are the proud parents of Heather, John (wife Marcella) and Erin, grandparents of Louisa, Isabella and Declan.

Pat’s commitment to the Irish Community has spanned for more than 40 years. She has dedicated her time, talent and treasure into many Irish organizations in the Cleveland area. Pat is a founding member of the Irish American Club - East Side serving on the Executive Board. She has served the Club as Sergeant at Arms, Chair of the Anniversary Dance, member of the Ladies Drill Team and several other committees. Currently, Pat is the Circulation Manager for the Club’s newsletter; the Schanachie.

1n 2010, Pat was recognized as the Irish American Club - East Side Member of the Year. In addition to her involvement with the Irish American Club - East Side, she is also a member of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, West Side Irish American Club, Cleveland Mayo Society, and the Irish American Archives Society. She is a supporter of the United Irish Societies, the Padraic Pearse Center, the Irish National Caucus, Cleveland Feis Society and many local Irish Festivals.

In addition to her dedication and service to the Irish Community, Pat considers her greatest accomplishment is being a loving mother to her children. She has raised her family to appreciate their Irish heritage spanning back to County Mayo where her father John Corcoran fought for Irish freedom.

Her children were raised in the Irish community participating in Irish dance, and marching in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the Irish American Club – East Side’s Fife and Drum Unit. They were proud to follow their father Bill Homan who was the 2019 Grand Marshal and will again join their mother as the 2024 Irish Mother of the Year.

The Homans are active parishioners of St. Justin Martyr Parish in Eastlake.


David J. McLaughlin
2024 Inside Co-Chair


David Joseph McLaughlin grew up in Middletown, Ohio. He is the eldest of three boys and the son of Betty and Dave McLaughlin. David’s family attended Holy Trinity Grade School and Church. Everything David learned about Irish Culture and Heritage came from his home, school, and church. David attended Bishop Fenwick High School in Middletown. After high school David attended St. Joseph College in Indiana and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in History.

After graduation from college David went back to Middletown and found a job working for a finance company in Cincinnati. He was soon set up on a blind date with Nancy Kelley, a night that changed his life forever. He would follow Nancy to her hometown of Cleveland Heights. They were married in 1979 and lived in East Cleveland and Cleveland before purchasing a house in Cleveland Heights. Dave and Nancy have two adult children - son Patrick and daughter Kelley Catanese - and three grandsons. Dave and his family are active members of St. Philomena Church, Communion of Saints Parish, where he is a Eucharistic Minister and volunteer, trying to maintain the grounds and interior of the church.

Dave followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in Cleveland with the Western Reserve and then Bluestone Division. He is a past Vice President of Western Reserve and Bluestone Division and currently is chairperson for Freedom for All Ireland committee. He also serves on the AOH Cuyahoga County Board as Secretary and was their past president as well. David is one of the volunteer coordinators with the Irish Cultural Garden. He also is a volunteer with the Cleveland Cultural Gardens on One World Day and current treasurer of the new Scottish Cultural Garden. A longtime member of the Irish American Club - East Side, David was 16-year member of the Jack McDonough Fife and Drum. He also enjoyed set dancing with the Cleveland Ceili Club at the IACES and was on the Float Committee prior to joining Fife and Drum.

David joined the United Irish Societies as a Delegate from the Irish American Club - East Side. He was later appointed as a Deputy Director. As a Deputy Director he has been part of transitioning the application process from paper to an online version. Dave initially joined the Line of March committee, and later concentrated on the new Parade participants, where he took the lead on contacting and meeting with all the new applicants to the Parade. In doing so, he created a required orientation process for all new Parade participants which included creating a short video on the history of the Parade. David also has been gathering and organizing the Certificate of Liability Insurance forms from the participants in the Parade. David continues to be a Marshall for the end of the Parade each year.


Fr. Francis Walsh
2024 Outside Co-Chair


Fr. Francis Walsh is the son of John and Cecelia Fallon Walsh. He was raised in Rocky River where he attended St. Christopher. Fr. Walsh graduated from St. Ignatius High School in 1949. He attended John Carroll University before entering the Seminary. In 1957, Fr. Walsh was ordained by Archbishop Edward Hoban.

Fr. Walsh served many Parishes in the Diocese of Cleveland as an Associate Pastor before being named as the Pastor of St. Jerome in 1976. In 1992, Bishop Pilla named him as Pastor of St. Luke in Lakewood. He served as Pastor of St. Luke for 21 years.

Fr. Francis Walsh, is one of the humblest people you will ever meet. His soothing voice and gentle demeanor immediately put your mind at ease.

Fr. Walsh through thick and thin has been an incredible blessing to the Irish Community and every Parish he has served over the last 24 years in the Priesthood with his tireless dedication.

He is active in the Irish Community with membership in the Ancient Order of Hibernians Bluestone Division, Irish American Club - East Side, and the West Side Irish American Club.

The Bluestone Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians are honored that Fr. Walsh serves as their Chaplain. He is always willing to participate in activities.

He shares his love of his heritage with his family and friends.



Past Honorees

  • 1958
    • Grand Marshal - John J. O'Malley*
  • 1959
    • Grand Marshal - Patrick J. O'Malley*
  • 1960
    • Grand Marshal - John T. English*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Raymond J. Reilly*
    • Outside Co-Chair - William F. Chambers*
  • 1961
    • Grand Marshal - William J. Cannon*
    • Inside Co-Chair - William T. Monroe
    • Outside Co-Chair - James P. Conway*
  • 1962
    • Grand Marshal - Thomas E. McDonald*
    • Inside Co-Chair - James M. Lynch*
    • Outside Co-Chair - James J. Lynch*
  • 1963
    • Grand Marshal - Patrick T. Lynch*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Celia Carney*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Joseph P. Rochford*
    • Outside Co-Chair - James T. Kilbane*
  • 1964
    • Grand Marshal - Michael McGlynn*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Margaret Spellacy*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Martin J. Cooney*
    • Outside Co-Chair - William F. Sweeney
  • 1965
    • Grand Marshal - Arthur McChrystal*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Agnes Chambers*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Augustine Boland*
    • Outside Co-Chair - James T. Breslin*
  • 1966
    • Grand Marshal - James T. Kilbane*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Margaret Browne*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Mary V. McNeeley*
    • Outside Co-Chair - Ignatius E. McIntyre*
  • 1967
    • Grand Marshal - James M. Lynch*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Catherine Kline*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Mary E. Reynolds*
    • Outside Co-Chair - Daniel L. Berry*
  • 1968
    • Grand Marshal - John E. Ryan*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Bridget Boland*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Eamon D'Arcy*
    • Outside Co-Chair - Thomas J. Barrett, MD*
  • 1969
    • Grand Marshal - Thomas Scott*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Elizabeth Kenny*
    • Inside Co-Chair - James E. Murray*
    • Outside Co-Chair - Hon. Michael A. Sweeney*
  • 1970
    • Grand Marshal - James J. Boland*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Bernadette Murphy*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Thomas Byrne*
    • Outside Co-Chair - Thomas Coughlin*
  • 1971
    • Grand Marshal - Michael B. Comer*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Anna Esther Kilbane*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Mary B. Cook
    • Outside Co-Chair - Thomas F. Campbell, PhD*
  • 1972
    • Grand Marshal - Patrick T. Duffy*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Beatrice Lynch*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Patrick J. O'Malley*
    • Outside Co-Chair - Canon Liam J. Kitt*
  • 1973
    • Grand Marshal - Hon. George J. McMonagle*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Mary Reynolds*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Patrick W. O'Malley*
    • Outside Co-Chair - James B. Mooney
  • 1974
    • Grand Marshal - John P. McNea*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Anna Sweeney*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Ralph Connor*
    • Outside Co-Chair - James W. McGorray*
  • 1975
    • Grand Marshal - Patrick J. Byrnes*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Anna Rita Kilbane*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Oliver E. Murphy*
    • Outside Co-Chair - William J. Kiernan*
  • 1976
    • Grand Marshal - James M. Carney*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Delia McIntyre*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Edward J. Campbell*
    • Outside Co-Chair - Patrick J. Gallagher*
  • 1977
    • Grand Marshal - Thomas F. McManamon Sr.
    • Outside Co-Chair - Peter D. Corrigan, MD*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Frank M. Sheehan*
  • 1978
    • Grand Marshal - Patrick J. McGeever*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Delia Gibbons*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Maura Dowdall
    • Outside Co-Chair - John J. Gill
  • 1979
    • Grand Marshal - Bryan Kilbane (In Memoriam)*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Loretta Prendergast*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Margaret Mylett
    • Outside Co-Chair - James P. Reynolds*
  • 1980
    • Grand Marshal - Oliver E. Murphy*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Mary Howard O'Malley*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Thomas J. Reynolds*
    • Outside Co-Chair - Hon. Ann McManamon
  • 1981
    • Grand Marshal - Canon Liam J. Kitt*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Nora Hastings*
    • Inside Co-Chair - John Coyne*
    • Outside Co-Chair - Hon. John V. Corrigan*
  • 1982
    • Grand Marshal - Martin L. McLaughlin*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Beatrice McIntyre*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Michael G. Lavelle*
    • Outside Co-Chair - John P. Coyne
  • 1983
    • Grand Marshal - Michael McGarry*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Anne Grey*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Edmund P. Byrne*
    • Outside Co-Chair - Terrence Joyce*
  • 1984
    • Grand Marshal - John T. Patton Sr.*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Mary Terese Hurley*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Deneen C. O'Reilly
    • Outside Co-Chair - Leo P. D'Arcy*
  • 1985
    • Grand Marshal - John O'Neill*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Ursula Lynch*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Patrick T. Murphy
    • Outside Co-Chair - John O'Brien
  • 1986
    • Grand Marshal - Michael Roddy*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Mary O'Neill*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Eileen A. Reynolds
    • Outside Co-Chair - Kevin W. Reynolds
  • 1987
    • Grand Marshal - Thomas McCaffrey*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Hanna Byrnes*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Daniel M. Corcoran*
    • Outside Co-Chair - John F. McGarry
  • 1988
    • Grand Marshal - Owen R. Quinn*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Bridget Birney*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Walter J. McNally
    • Outside Co-Chair - Richard A. Walton
  • 1989
    • Grand Marshal - Hon. Gerald T. McFaul
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Angela Kerrigan*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Stephen L. Mulloy*
    • Outside Co-Chair - Roger S. Weist*
  • 1990
    • Grand Marshal - James P. Reynolds*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Noreen Garriga
    • Inside Co-Chair - Margaret A. Lackey
    • Outside Co-Chair - Sean Anthony Boland*
  • 1991
    • Grand Marshal - John B. Quinn*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Kathleen Cooney*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Peter B. Hannon
    • Outside Co-Chair - Thomas O'Neill*
  • 1992
    • Grand Marshal - Terry Joyce*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Bette Berry*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Robert E. Hearns*
    • Outside Co-Chair - John Togher*
  • 1993
    • Grand Marshal - Alphonsus O'Leary
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Julia Burke*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Thomas J. Ross*
    • Outside Co-Chair - Helen C. Malloy
  • 1994
    • Grand Marshal - Thomas Byrne*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Nora Jordan*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Marilyn Madigan
    • Outside Co-Chair - John J. Hennessy*
  • 1995
    • Grand Marshal - Edward Campbell*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Pauline Gallagher*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Rita Lally
    • Outside Co-Chair - Paul Gallagher*
  • 1996
    • Grand Marshal - Thomas Ross*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Eileen Hennessy*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Toby Haffey*
    • Outside Co-Chair - John Campbell*
  • 1997
    • Grand Marshal - Joseph Boland*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Mary Celine O'Leary
    • Inside Co-Chair - James Kilbane
    • Outside Co-Chair - Dennis Dunn*
  • 1998
    • Grand Marshal - Patrick T. Kilbane*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Mae Moore Keenan*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Bonnie K. McNally
    • Outside Co-Chair - Sr. Maureen Burke SND
  • 1999
    • Grand Marshal - Raymond "Rip" Reilly*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Mary Kilbane*
    • Inside Co-Chair - John J. Togher
    • Outside Co-Chair - Fr. J. Brendan McNulty
  • 2000
    • Grand Marshal - William Chambers*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Nora Carr*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Linda Carney
    • Outside Co-Chair - James McGuirk
  • 2001
    • Grand Marshal - Lonnie McCauley*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Sara McLaughlin*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Bridie Joyce
    • Outside Co-Chair - Bridget Boland*
  • 2002
    • Grand Marshal - Frank Sheehan*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Mary Hastings-McCluskey
    • Inside Co-Chair - Tom Kilbane
    • Outside Co-Chair - Pat Dowd
  • 2003
    • Grand Marshal - Eamonn D'Arcy*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Mary O'Donnell Hayes*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Rasa M. Chambers
    • Outside Co-Chair - Harry Simon*
  • 2004
    • Grand Marshal - James Patrick Caffrey*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Anne O'Donnell Mulloy*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Frank Hoban*
    • Outside Co-Chair - Nell Buckley*
  • 2005
    • Grand Marshal - Helen Malloy
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Patricia Campbell*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Linda Hannon
    • Outside Co-Chair - Kevin McGinty*
  • 2006
    • Grand Marshal - Bill Carney*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Joan Cavanaugh*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Ed Morrow*
    • Outside Co-Chair - Gerald Quinn
  • 2007
    • Grand Marshal - Stephen L. Mulloy*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Mary Ellen Boland*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Mary Alice Fitzgerald
    • Outside Co-Chair - Kathy Whitford
  • 2008
    • Grand Marshal - John Campbell*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Kathleen Hough*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Michael Keenan
    • Outside Co-Chair - Norine Hastings
  • 2009
    • Grand Marshal - Tom Reynolds*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Shirley Chambers*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Maire Leffel
    • Outside Co-Chair - Fr. James P. O'Donnell
  • 2010
    • Grand Marshal - John Hayes*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Bonnie McNally
    • Inside Co-Chair - Shannon Corcoran
    • Outside Co-Chair - Fr. Thomas Johns
  • 2011
    • Grand Marshal - Gerry Quinn
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Kathleen Lackey Sheehan
    • Inside Co-Chair - Sheila Murphy Crawford
    • Outside Co-Chair - Fr. Thomas Mahoney
  • 2012
    • Grand Marshal - Walter J. "Mickey" McNally
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Vera Casey*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Una O'Leary Escolas
    • Outside Co-Chair - William G. Chambers
  • 2013
    • Grand Marshal - Kevin McGinty*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Una Ellis*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Timothy Leahy
    • Outside Co-Chair - Daniel B. Chambers
  • 2014
    • Grand Marshal  - Andy Dever
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Bridie Joyce
    • Inside Co-Chair -  John O'Brien Jr.
    • Outside Co-Chair - Mark Owens
  • 2015
    • Grand Marshal - Daniel M. Corcoran*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Patricia Hollywood
    • Inside Co-Chair - Maire O'Leary Manning
    • Outside Co-Chair - Fr. Bob Begin*
  • 2016
    • Grand Marshal - Jack Coyne
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Bridget McIntyre
    • Inside Co-Chair - John Myers
    • Outside Co-Chair - Teresa Reilly Kowalski
  • 2017
    • Grand Marshal - Roger S. Weist*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Angela Murphy*
    • Inside Co-Chair - Margaret Lynch
    • Outside Co-Chair - John Patrick Lackey
  • 2018
    • Grand Marshal - Sheila Murphy Crawford
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Joan (Hartnett) Reali
    • Inside Co-Chair - Noreen Halley
    • Outside Co-Chair - Linda Burke
  • 2019
    • Grand Marshal - William "Bill" Homan
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Eileen Kilroy
    • Inside Co-Chair - Patti Maher Hanrahan
    • Outside Co-Chair - Sr. Corita Ambro
  • 2020
    • Grand Marshal - Thomas J. Scanlon*
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Kathleen Mangan
    • Inside Co-Chair - Maureen Mohney
    • Outside Co-Chair - Christopher Cooper
  • 2021
    • No New Honorees Selected
  • 2022
    • Grand Marshal - Thomas F. McManamon Jr.
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Rita Lally
    • Inside Co-Chair - Patricia Coleman Lavelle
    • Outside Co-Chair - Eileen Mangan Stull
  • 2023
    • Grand Marshal - Michael F. "Mickey" Coyne
    • Irish Mother of the Year - Bridget Conway
    • Inside Co-Chair - Maureen Cavanaugh
    • Outside Co-Chair - Kevin McDonough
      
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