President sends best wishes to grand marshal of New York parade from Limerick

PRESIDENT Michael D Higgins has officially sent his best wishes to the Limerick native set to be the grand marshal of New York City's St Patrick’s Day parade - the largest in the world.

Michael Benn, from Clare Street, Limerick city will join a long list of luminaries as grand marshal including Maureen O’Hara and George Mitchell on Monday.

He was unanimously appointed last year for his decades of community service including over 25 years running the Queens County Parade, 20 years as producer/director of An Suil Na Gael TV promoting Irish culture, his service as a sergeant in the US Army, and his many years working to promote unions and the rights of workers.

Mr Benn’s family in America and Limerick are very proud of the honour after the successful businessman was unanimously appointed last year. Mr Benn met and married wife Christina in New York but she was born and raised in Vizes Field in Limerick. They have six children - Michael, Richard, William, Brendan, Patrick and Tara - and 11 grandchildren.

President Higgins extended his warmest wishes and St Patrick's Day greetings to the board of directors, friends and volunteers of the New York City St Patrick's Day Parade and the St Patrick's Day Foundation, NYC, on the occasion of the 264th annual parade. It attracts more than two million spectators per year to Fifth Avenue.

President Higgins sent his sincere congratulations to all involved, including Sean Lane, chairman of the parade's board of directors, and Hilary Beirne, chairman of the St Patrick's Day Foundation.

“May I say how delighted I am to learn that a community leader of such influence and dedication as Michael Benn has been chosen to lead the festivities as grand marshal. It is especially heartening that the grand marshal has chosen to honour the Irish language in his work this year.

“Gabhaim mo bhuíochas leat as ucht do chuid oibre. Mar Uachtarán na hEireann, as President of Ireland, may I thank you, Mr Benn, for your commitment to preserving and growing the Irish language. 

“I know that there are so many across the US who find comfort and inspiration in our beautiful language and that it lives on, in many households, schools and universities across the country,” said Mr Higgins.

Mr Benn first saw the St Patrick’s Day Parade in New York as a wide-eyed teenager in the 1960s after his family left Limerick for America.

“It was the size of it and, my God, the amount of people that march. Nobody knows truly how many that go up there. And the warmer the day, the bigger the crowds are. You can't even walk on the sidewalks,” Mr Benn told the Leader last year in his softly-spoken accent which is a mix of Queens with a nod to his Limerick roots.

READ MORE: PICTURES: Local village first to hold St Patrick's Day parade

His role encompasses a lot more than just one day as there are months of planning and organising involved. It has been a whirlwind few days for Mr Benn (pictured below) with a number of high profile functions to celebrate Irish culture.

Irish folk/indie group Seo Linn were just a number of Irish acts to perform.

Mr Benn has also had a lot of media duties including a feature on national network NBC. He was instrumental in helping the Queens County St Patrick's Day Parade went on in 2013 just months after Superstorm Sandy devastated the area.

"Everybody was down here and they loved it. It brought the spirit, you know, esprit de corps, back into our community," Mr Benn told NBC.

People at home in Limerick can watch the New York City St Patrick’s Day Parade live here