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Mary Higgins Clark first not to walk up Fifth Avenue

Horse and carriage for New York Grand Marshal

PATRICK O'BRIEN,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Wednesday, November 10, 2010, 5:29 AM

Updated Thursday, November 11, 2010, 4:01 PM

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Mary Higgins Clark

A 250-year-old tradition will fall this St. Patrick’s Day in New York when Grand Marshal Mary Higgins Clark leads the parade up Fifth Avenue.

Even one of the 249 so far have walked the avenue but best selling author Higgins Clark will be in a horse and carriage.

The 83-year-old did not feel up to the three mile walk and turned down a golf cart which was first offered.

Instead she has chosen a horse and carriage, thereby creating a real moment of old world Irish as she goes up Fifth.

It is believed that some of her family will accompany her in the open carriage.

Mounted horses are allowed in the parade, as are cars for sponsors such as the Ford Motor company but no other motorized floats are allowed

Higgins Clark will be 83-years-old on St. Patrick’s Day 2011 and is the highest selling suspense writer in America. All 42 of her books are still in print.

Her books have sold more than 80 million copies in the United States.

She is a former medalist and is a current board member of the American Irish Historical Society.

She is the daughter of Irish immigrant Luke and Nora Clarke, of Irish descent, and she grew up in the Great Depression in The Bronx.

Nster.com

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Watereskhill | Nov 11, 2010, 10:03 PM EST

Why have Liam Neeson, Colin Farell, Sinead O'Conner or Enya not been invited to be Grand Marshall of the Parade? It comes across as a re-run of The Lawrence Welk Show. Bring your 'walker' and wave a flag.

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maloney | Nov 11, 2010, 04:15 PM EST

So if the Grand Marshal isn't gay or at least a supporter of gays, they don't deserve to be in the parade. Pretty narrow minded take on things. What you really want is if your not gay, you can't be in the parade at all. It's the St. Patricks Day Parade, not the gay pride parade. Get over it.

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hollabackgurl | Nov 11, 2010, 11:06 AM EST

It's absurd to even talk of her "leading" the parade. At 83 she's not even able to walk in it. It says something about the lack of Irish people still willing to endorse bigotry in the middle of Manhattan that the Parade Committee have to select octogenerians at this point.

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mcdolan | Nov 11, 2010, 02:10 AM EST

Good woman, yourself! Seems to me I recall Maureen O'Hara in a car or horsedrawn carriage as well some years ago (??)

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kwsunshine | Nov 11, 2010, 12:38 AM EST

go, mary! :)

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docmikey | Nov 10, 2010, 03:28 PM EST

Too bad she doesn't support gay people - like the ones denied a part in the parade.

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killowen | Nov 10, 2010, 01:35 PM EST

the Hanoverian crud of Erin paving the way for Mother queenie next year. It good for their subjects. Methinks returning to commonwealth is next in the cards. God save their glorious Brit masters. She be waving the standard when she comes - note the harp for ireland on it - still deemed to be theirs.

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killowen | Nov 10, 2010, 01:34 PM EST

Just like the quuen.

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igrandma | Nov 10, 2010, 10:43 AM EST

I read in a bio of Mary Higgins Clarke that she was born in December not on March 17th.

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