Pat O'Neil named grand marshal of city's annual St. Patrick's Day Parade
Mar. 11—Hillside Middle School teacher Pat O'Neil has been named grand marshal of the 27th annual Manchester St. Patrick's Day Parade, the Manchester St. Patrick's Parade Committee has announced.
The parade will step off at noon (rain or shine) on Sunday, March 24, from the Brady Sullivan Tower and proceed through downtown to Central Street.
Each year, the parade names a grand marshal of Irish heritage and Catholic faith, who has contributed to the betterment of the greater Manchester area.
O'Neil, the son of the late Dan and Joan (Mitchell) O'Neil, was raised in Manchester with his siblings, Kate, Brian and Alderman At-Large Dan O'Neil.
Pat O'Neil, a teacher at Hillside for nearly 40 years, graduated from Trinity High School before going on to the University of New Hampshire to earn a degree in education.
O'Neil helps run Bring It!, an afterschool program at Hillside that supports kids, inspires them to believe in themselves and helps them achieve their goals.
He has also spent many years coaching 13-year-old Babe Ruth baseball, Central Little League baseball, CYO basketball at St. Anne's, high school football at Trinity and Central High School and basketball at Trinity and West High School.
O'Neil is a member of the Catholic High School Hall of Fame and the Manchester Boys and Girls Club Hall of Fame. He received the Carl Lundholm Memorial Awards for his service to youth and athletics in New Hampshire.
"Pat is an incredible individual who worked hard for his family, volunteered serving his community and always held on to his faith," the Manchester St. Patrick's Parade Committee said in a statement. "He is a great choice for grand marshal of the 2024 Manchester Saint Patrick's Parade."
Grand marshal candidates are nominated in the fall and are selected by a panel made up of the five previous grand marshals.
