Village of Warwick Mayor Michael Newhard with Village of Greenwood Lake Mayor Jesse Dwyer during this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. (
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As the Village of Warwick prepared for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 18, Irish heritage groups, elected state, Orange County and local village officials were also in attendance.
Area Irish clubs began the Orange County NY tradition in 1979, together with the Archdiocese of New York, with a parade to honor the patron saint of Ireland, accompanied by bagpipers. St. Patrick’s mission to the Emerald Isle forever influenced its history. The parade provides a focus for the celebration of a heritage of a dynamic people and their contributions to the community.
Led by the Town of Warwick Police Department Color Guard, this year’s parade included members of the Fire Department and EMS groups, as well as stirring bagpipes by the Ancient Order of Hibernians Pipe Band, who also appeared in the parade in New York City.
Irish dancers from Sheahan-Gormley Dance Studio, as well as Mayor Jesse Dwyer, who is also a candidate for Warwick Town Supervisor, both represented Greenwood Lake in this year’s parade. Meanwhile, hundreds of Warwick area residents and visitors lined the parade route while traffic was diverted around the Main Street.
“Next year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration in Greenwood Lake will have a special significance, since it was on Mar 17, 1924 that the Greenwood Lake became a Village in the State of New York,” Centennial Committee Chair and Village Trustee Nancy Clifford said. “An election was held on January 12 at the Parish House, which is now known as the Church of the Good Shephard, and 72 people voted. 52 for, 20 against.” The population of Greenwood Lake at that time was noted on the state form as 332.
To learn more about the history of Greenwood Lake and to get notified of the upcoming events this year and next, log onto Facebook.com/GWLCentennial or Gwlcentennial.org.
