The Harp and Shamrock Society of Texas, who have hosted the annual celebration attended by more than 80,000 people for over four decades, said that rising costs forced them to cancel this 2012 parade.
“We are the oldest and largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the state,” society president Terence Peak told Kens5.com.
“The cost that the city fees involve in barricades and police officers plus other fees is over $12,000.”
___________
Read More:
Niall O’Dowd: The vital role of the United Irish Counties
Hoboken, NJ, cancels St. Patrick’s Day Parade after 26 years - POLL
Stopping abusive behavior at St.Patrick's Parades can be done -- New York and Chicago parades point the way forward
______________
“We can’t afford this type of expense and we don’t seem to have any support from the city.”
Peak said that a lack of city support means they have not been granted a waiver for certain fees associated with a parade in the past, and as a result they have cancelled the parade.
San Antonio’s great tradition of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade started back in 1967. Twenty members of the society laid a wreath on the door of the shrine while Irish tunes were played by the Central Catholic High School Band.
According to the society’s site, “In March of 1968, the first St. Patrick's Day Parade started in downtown San Antonio with 250 marchers walking about four blocks to the Alamo.”
Now more than 80,000 San Antonians and visitors watch the parade every year as schools, veteran's groups, local businesses, and representatives of the military community wind through the street. The San Antonians even dye the river green every year and rename it “The River Shannon” for the day.
Peak called on the public and those who support the old tradition to contact their elected officials.
“Talk to your councilman and say ‘We miss this and is there any way you can work with the Harp and Shamrock Society to make it easier on them or affordable for them?’”
Despite the street parade being cancelled, Peak assured that the society would still host a week full of events to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
Here’s the news report:
22 Comments
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.joan1954 | Feb 06, 2012, 10:50 PM EST
jb66ss396 the city isn't stupid it just doesn't think Irish culture in a Mexican American city is that important especially when the Irish had a lot to do with private education here. We are now the true minorities. Our parade is not a huge money maker except for the bars and they don't support us.
marciaashley | Feb 04, 2012, 06:39 AM EST
is all the old traditions going by the wayside. how much did it cost the parades from beginning to now? what is wrong with voulantering by hand to get this tradition going? i used to decorate every year for halloween and other holidays,. do you think i harped about price? no, because i knew they were comming up. i went to yard sales, looked for old trees,wood, and made costumes by hand, and also got the school kids to help.how did people do all this back then? the same as i. you know what i dont see in the parades where i live? the homade floates anymore. and why? because it seems its not important anymore, so what is important? i think people are lost,and have been misguided in the last30 years. by the way i think my decorations were the best homade scenes around here.
jb66ss396 | Feb 03, 2012, 04:12 PM EST
How stupid can this city be. These events are huge money makers as it attracts people o the city who spend money. Very shortsighted. I think its really a anti-Irish sentiment by the city. In other words....racism.
joycean | Feb 03, 2012, 10:52 AM EST
IrelandNorth, There's no Hybernophobia in this country. What a crazy idea! We make up one of the largest, best-educated, wealthiest ethnic groups. Everyone wants to be Irish(-American). MotherIrish, some year be in Savannah for St.Patrick's Day. It claims to be the "second largest in America." It is more like Mardi Gras and totally shuts down the city for a week. Actually, Savannah is another of my favorite American cities; we try to get down there at least once a year, and to Charleston.
jamieLM | Feb 03, 2012, 09:41 AM EST
@IrelandNorth, I think it's more about the cost of the parades and how much money can be raised to finance them than any anti-Irish agenda. Other ethnic festivals usually charge fees to offset the costs. Parades are free to the public, although there is a lot of cost to put them on and the more elaborate they are, the more money is needed. Some cities have larger Irish Am. populations who are willing and able to financially support their parades. @Murph46, you're one of those posters who have a lot of common sense. I always enjoy reading your posts. My mom would call you a "real go-getter." It takes people like you to keep the old traditions alive. @joan1954 - With a much smaller Irish-Am. pop. in SA, I can understand the difficulties that you face in financing a parade. People only have so much money to spend.
Paradigm | Feb 03, 2012, 08:20 AM EST
relattive - pius platitudes - Of ocurse Don't call youself 'IrelandNorth' please - my experience of its educational system would indicate that Ulster folk can spell!
IrelandNorth | Feb 03, 2012, 05:53 AM EST
Am I goin' paranoid in my relattive old age, or is there evidence of an hiberno-phobic agenda. First Hoboken, now San Antonio. Where next, Dublin/Ireland? Of ocurse, the Irish government could redirect all that money they're paying to gambling bondholders, thereby putting their patriotism where their pius platitudes are.
Murph46 | Feb 02, 2012, 06:51 PM EST
MotherIrish-Will go to the Cleveland Parade this year and lament the demise of San Antonio & Hoboken.
MotherIrish | Feb 02, 2012, 06:09 PM EST
Thanks be to God that I live in Atlanta (formerly Cleveland, OH), cities that love a good Irish parade!! And once again, along with a bunch of other Corvette owners, we will decorate our cars and celebrate. Bring it on!
Murph46 | Feb 02, 2012, 05:23 PM EST
As I have said I have raised sums of 10-12k b4,40k is a horse of a different color ,damned if I'd let 44 years of tradition go for 12K Just Sayin!
ballyhip | Feb 02, 2012, 04:37 PM EST
As someone who was associated with the Newport RI St. Patrick's Day parade in the past I can understand the decision of joan1954. When I left the committee a number of yrs ago, the TOTAL cost of the parade was over 40k. Bands, even HS bands, do not appear for free and if they did you would be still liable for the janitor, bus, etc. who must be involved.Since Newport is a tourist (and military) town we do have the monetary support of many businesses but it is like pulling each yr. I remember soliciting one of the national hotel chains who said that they had to run it by their headquarters. Despite many calls, we never did receive a donation. Most of corporations realize that the spike they see in their reciepts in March are due to the Parade and ancillary events but the majority of donors are small businesses or individuals who grew up with the parade. I wish San Antonio well in the future.
Murph46 | Feb 02, 2012, 02:41 PM EST
jamielm It's just my Irish stubborness that before I would let a 44 year Irish tradition die,I'd fight like hell.I see now too many Irish traditions going by the wayside,Maybe I'm the proverbial Dinosaur but I miss bagpipes where they are no longer etc.I was raised a rebel and I don't quit easy.I regret that in my own family that when I die the biggest traditions will be broken.I guess I wear it too much on my sleeve.
jamieLM | Feb 02, 2012, 02:26 PM EST
I know the parades are traditional in celebrating St. Patrick's Day, but there are other ways to do it and have a good time. The Dutch and the Germans often celebrate Tulip Days and Oktoberfest sans parades. joan1954 - I admire your dedication in promoting the Irish in San Antonio. @Murph46, congratulations to you on what your organizations have accomplished! It does take a lot of effort. I don't know Joan's situation, but I know there are many factors that can make it easier or more complicated in planning and raising money. For one thing, it helps when everyone is on the same page and there aren't too many uncompromising "chiefs", each with their own ideas.
Murph46 | Feb 02, 2012, 10:53 AM EST
None of my organizations received help from the city,it was elbow grease and work effort that produced for us.
Murph46 | Feb 02, 2012, 10:51 AM EST
Joan1954 as I stated I have raised funds for much smaller organizatis and with planning it can be done ,I see no notice that you did not see this coming I simply ask where was the planning?
joan1954 | Feb 02, 2012, 10:38 AM EST
As a San Antonian and immediate Past President of the Harp and shamrock Society, we are doing additional things. It is just the street parade that has been cancelled for this year. We still have our Alamo Ceremonies at High noon which began it all, a river parade and an all evening Irish festival from 5-11 on March 17. For the gentleman who has problems seeing us raise the $12,000, the issue is that we have always funded the parade from our resources but have never received any help from the city as many other groups such as the MLK March. We fall under an interpretation of a San Antonio ordinance that waves certain fees for parades with cultural significance and the Irish have been here since Spanish colonial times in the 18th century. We do have a long and noble history here but the city doesn't acknowledge it. Murph46 it isn't all that easy to do what you suggest. If it had been and this is Texas we would have done it. Our parade has never been held on the DAY itself except when it fell on a Saturday. We don't have the large numbers of Irish groups here like NY and Boston do. We are growing but it is slow. Comhaltas is here as is the GAA, we have two schools of dancing and forr ceili groups. Who knows we may well be back?
CroughPatrick | Feb 02, 2012, 10:17 AM EST
and what is stopping anyone from going and doing what they did in 1968? something small and dignified. most St. Paddy's parades are about parting and getting drunk. if you dont think that Hoboken parade was ground zero for drunks, then you've never been there at 3pm. if you dont think the parade in NYC used to be completely out of hand, listen to me, I was there at the steps of the museum on fifth avenue and 82nd street. What I saw was a disgrace and Ed Koch stopped it by cracking down on all drinking. Why he didnt do it to the Puerto Ricans, you can ask him before he croaks.
Murph46 | Feb 02, 2012, 10:16 AM EST
I question the authenticity of an organization who can't raise $12,000.I have done it for much smaller organizations by holding reverse raffles etc.The heart of this is that it is easier to blame it on someone else than to go to work in a constructive manner to solve the problem.Period!
brennanirish | Feb 02, 2012, 10:04 AM EST
What would make for an intersting article is for someone to look at the Irish parades around the country being canceled. Hoboken and San Antonio are two...any others? Do these cities have other ETHNIC parades paid for by the government? It would give some perspective. Many Irish crackpots, on this site, felt Hoboken "deserved to be canceled becuase of IRISH drunkeness" none of which was proved to be true.....Maybe a pattern is developing. Urban demographics being what they are, in certain large cities, and as funds are tight certain choices are made that may not include the Irish. WHAT TO DO? THE BEST THING WE CAN DO IS TO LET AUTHORITIES KNOW THAT IF NO ETHNIC PARADES CAN BE AFFORDED, WE'LL TRY AND TOLERATE THAT, BUT WE WONT TOLERATE IF OUR PARADE IS TARGETED LIKE IN HOBOKEN. WE MAKE OURSELVES EASY TARGETS BECAUSE SO MANY IRISH HATE THEIR OWN AND BUY IN TO STEREOTYPES. TRULY SAD.
eileenkny | Feb 02, 2012, 09:52 AM EST
Just another example of bureaucracy squashing us all like bugs. Maybe they should move the parade out of the city proper to a suburb, where it won't cost as much and the smaller town would be happy to have them.
JimmieM | Feb 02, 2012, 09:41 AM EST
typical government....don't give them what they want, your money, and they take away things that that you enjoy or need from government
joycean | Feb 02, 2012, 09:20 AM EST
For those of you who have never been to San Anyonio, take a look at this picture. That narrow river runs through the city center, and small boats like the one in the picture carry passengers. There are lots of interesting shops selling Mexican items and Tex-Mex cafes and restaurants. San Antonio is one of America's very colorful cities.