This year’s East Islip St. Patrick’s Day Parade, to be held on Sunday, March 2, marks the 60th anniversary of the famed Long Island parade.
Founded in 1966 by John P. Reilly, the Grand Marshal for this year’s 2025 milestone anniversary parade is Great River resident John Davis, who, like John P. Reilly, is a graduate of Fordham University.
John Davis retired in 2018 after 33 years with a large transportation company. He comes from a family that was keen on celebrating its Irish heritage during his formative years.
His great-grandparents came from Ireland, with one great-grandmother living in the large Irish community in Nova Scotia before finding her way to the Big Apple.
Married to his wife Margret, whose family roots are mostly in Clones in County Monaghan, they have two daughters, Kelly Davis Gentile, a 2016 graduate of Fordham, and Jenna, a 2020 graduate of St. Joseph’s University.
Kelly and her husband have two children, Daisy (aged 2), and James, who just arrived on January 20. When Margret retires in July, after 39 years as a Finance Executive with a globally prestigious beauty firm, the proud grandparents look forward to taking on their new role as part-time caregivers.
John Davis graduated St. John the Baptist High School in West Islip in 1981 and earned a B.A. in Political Science in 1985 from Fordham University’s Rose Hill campus in The Bronx, where he was an integral member of the lacrosse team and football teams.
Always involved in Irish activities, he joined the Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 7 – Our Lady of Knock, in 2002, making his major degree the following year.
For Division 7 John has run the Children’s Fund, which holds an annual Christmas party for less fortunate children in the area. He also has run the Children’s Fund golf outing for ten years. For the last 16 years Davis has been an officer of the Ancient Order Land Corporation, which runs the business side of Division 7. Furthermore, in the past he both ran and was the emcee of the Annual Grand Marshal’s Ball, in addition to being a longtime member of the John P. Reilly Parade Committee.
Because of his longstanding involvement in the Irish community, it is small wonder that Davis has received past honors. In 2021, he was named the Hibernian of the Year by AOH Division 7. Two years later, he was one of the individuals who received an Irish-American Award of Distinction for Suffolk County. As for the honor of being named Grand Marshal for the 2025 parade, Davis responded: “I keep on thinking, ‘how did I get here?’”
The Long Island native views the longstanding success of the parade as a testament to the area’s vibrant Irish community. He said: “I believe the parade has lasted so long because we enjoy celebrating our legacy together and there is a genuine spirit of community.
"In East Islip, there are so many extended families of Irish descent. We are there for each other and enjoy observing our heritage along with being proud Americans. Also, the parade signifies the unofficial start of spring season, following a long winter. It is a celebration!”
From his own family upbringing of keeping stories and recipes of Ireland passed on from the generations, Davis views the East Islip St. Patrick’s Day Parade as an important vehicle to keep younger generations connected to their heritage, and to keep alive the memory of the Great Hunger.
As always, this year’s parade is keeping the tradition of holding the parade on the first Sunday of March, in honor of the parade’s founder and chairman, John P. Reilly, who served as chairman of the event from its founding in 1966 until his passing in 2006.
Reilly, a distinguished teacher in the Brentwood School District for over 30 years, was also the primary founding member of the AOH Division 7, Our Lady of Knock, in East Islip.
The parade will begin at the East Islip Public Library and travel west along Main Street, passing by the Grandstand at St. Mary’s RC Church. The 1.35 mile parade route will have various Irish pipe bands, Vietnam vets, local police and EMS departments, soccer leagues, school bands, Irish step dancers, and Irish civic organizations. There will also be floats, a practice which was first allowed in the 2023 parade.
Members of the AOH Division 7 are proud to be called “Our Lady of Knock” as this Marian shrine in County Mayo has become both a tourist attraction as well as a popular destination for Catholic pilgrims from all over the world. The shrine’s website offers mass cards at very reasonable prices and for diverse intentions, even a special mass card to wish a student well in their exams.
John Davis is greatly looking forward to his role as Grand Marshal in the 60th anniversary parade.
He says: “The Hibernian motto is ‘Friendship-Unity-Christian Charity.' The list of what we support and give back to the community is lengthy. It is all about giving back to help others.”
He emphasizes that Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations are fun events, whether one is Irish or not, and he encourages people to come to East Islip to celebrate the fun occasion of the parade.
