St. Patrick’s Day Parade Rolls for Twentieth Consecutive Year

For many South Baton Rougeans, they can’t remember not having a Saint Patrick’s Day Parade because for the last twenty years it has rolled rain or shine. It has rolled through one of the most beautiful and desirable neighborhoods in Baton Rouge, the Hundred Oaks area. The parade has had some pitfalls throughout the years but the supporters have been many and like clockwork, on March 12, 2005 at 10am, the 20th annual Wearin’ of the Green Parade will once again roll.

The twentieth anniversary parade route will be the same as it has been since the third year of the parade when Grey Hammett joined originator Pat Shingleton. The shamrock speckled parade starts at the intersection of Hundred Oaks and South Acadian Thruway (by Catholic Life Center), turns right onto Eugene, turns left onto Kleinert, turns left onto Perkins and progresses over the Perkins Road Overpass and disbands at Perkins and Acadian.

The Wearin’ of the Green Parade isn’t the first St. Patrick’s Day Parade to roll in Baton Rouge. The Sons of Erin, the origin of which goes back to 1906 in Baton Rouge, was for males of Irish descent. The traditions of the Sons of Erin were to dine each year on March 17 at the Capital House Hotel, fly the flag of Ireland over the City and have members parade down Third Street prior to dinner (“Sons of Ireland,” and “Irish Club, “March 17, 1959). It was a walking parade for the most part and there were at times only a handful of members that actually formed the parade in some years. In 1951, the wives of the members of the Sons of Erin express their displeasure at being excluded from the annual St. Patrick’s Day activities. As a result of this exclusion, the Irish Club of Baton Rouge was begun in 1951 and a form of it still exists today.

Toward the end of the 1970’s, interest in the parade portion of the St. Patrick Day festivities began to wane. Due to this lack of interest and the advancing age of the members of the Irish Club, the St. Patrick’s Day parades in Baton Rouge ceased in 1980.* *Thanks to: Patricia A. McElroy


For the first three years the parade rolled from the City Park Golf Course to Zee Zee Gardens and was primarily a walking parade with a few dignitaries, convertibles and old cars. Pat Shingleton walked at the end of the parade once he knew everything was okay, a tradition he still follows in 2005.

The parade had problems with the City Park Golf Course location because it was held up by untimely trains stopping and starting the parade, so when Grey Hammett came onboard he suggested lengthening the route and creating a new lineup area, which was done. That route has been in use ever since.

The Original parade traditionally flew in Irishman for their Grand Marshal according to records and would honor their “Irish lassies” or female flight crew while they were here as well. The Wearin’ of the Green has honored religious, actors, businessmen, Irishmen and heroes.

This year’s Grand Marshal is another Irishman from Killarney, Thomas J. Finnegan. Two previous Killarney Grand Marshals were Ivar Quigley (2002) and Denis Coffey (2004). Known to his friends as Junior, he is the former Captain of the Killarney Golf and Fishing Club. He has visited Baton Rouge on numerous occasions. Last year he presented former Mayor President Bobby Simpson with the traditional shamrocks from Ireland. This year he will present Mayor President Kip Holden and his wife Lois with gifts from the Mayor of Killarney and County Kerry.

Corporate sponsors are Mockler Beverage Budweiser and Walk-Ons located near the gates of LSU at Nicholson Drive. Mockler Beverage has been with the parade for twenty full years. Over the years their role has changed but they have always been a great support to the parade.

Parade Organizer Pat Shingleton said between 125,000 and 135,000 green clad bead grabbing parade watchers lined the parade route last year. The 20th Anniversary Edition of “The Wearin’ of the Green Parade” will be led by the Caledonia Pipers of Baton Rouge, Celtic Society of Baton Rouge Pipe Band led by Marty Bergin, followed by the United States Marine Corps Marching band, 60 floats, local dignitaries and numerous area marching bands. Rain or shine, the parade rolls and it seems like rain or shine, the crowds are there.