The frigid cold air could not keep the smiles off the faces of all the people in attendance for the annual St. Patrick Society’s, St. Patrick’s Day Parade. This parade is unique because it starts in downtown Rock Island, crosses the Centennial Bridge as it makes its way through down town Davenport, finally finishing at the bottom of Main Street.
Many of the families were represented by floats, some portraying pieces of Irish history and other Irish themed ideas. The winner of this years Biggest Marching Family was the Hughes Clan. This is not the first time they have won this award as they have received this honor multiple times since the inception of the parade.
This year, the Hughes Family, which also includes the Naab’s and McGinnis’s, just to name a few were strong in numbers staying consistent as in the years past. The theme of their float this year was focused around the Celtic Raiders, who enslaved a young (St) Patrick before he converted them to Christianity. As uncles, friends and cousins dressed in kilts holding swords and mallets perfected there costumes, an aunt walked around with face paint, decorating faces with shamrocks and whatever else was wanted.
It was no surprise that the Hughes Clan won the Biggest Marching Family award as they have 107 descendents. Last year they won the biggest marching family with a 101 members and they added 6 more children into the family and into to this grand tradition this year. Each year they try to portray some theme from Ireland’s history. They have had castles, cottages and floats about the potato famine in the previous years.
They have been in the parade since the beginning in 1985. With family coming in from all over the country to keep their tradition going, aside with 100 plus family members, the parade would not be the same without them as you realized listening to the cheers from the crowd as their float passed by.
From babies to Grandparents and everyone in between, on Saturday morning, everyone was Irish for a day.
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