The last time South Salina was filled with floats and the sounds of bagpipes for St. Patrick’s Day was in 2019.
After last year’s parade was canceled, there was cautious optimism a 2021 parade would take place.
Now that 2021 went without a St. Patrick’s Parade, there is confidence 2022 will not go without.
It’s news for which three men, in particular, are grateful.
“It’s like an exhale that it’s finally happening,” said John Tumino.
Grand Marshals Sean Kirst and John McCarthy, and Tumino, gael of the year, were named honorees for the parade.
For them, the parade is more than marching in the chilly air.
“It’s hard for me to describe how much, on kind of a spiritual level, being Gaelic has meant in my life,” Kirst said. “My family is going to be coming here from many points, and this is the community that’s shaped who I am. I almost can’t put myself there yet.”
Kirst, a journalist and writer, McCarthy, a photographer, and Tumino, the founder of a nonprofit, have made lasting impacts on the region. They can’t wait to see their community as they make their way through the Salt City.
“I really hoped the one day I would be able to do this, and with these guys, it’s just extra special,” said McCarthy.
The Salt City went two years without its St. Patrick’s Parade, but that wait looks to be coming to an end.
