Friday, October 9, 2026
For nearly four decades, members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 17 have gathered each fall to recognize Irish tradition with a community celebration. Last Saturday, the 37th annual Irish heritage parade and festival — Irish Day — once again took over the West End with a procession, food, drinks, live music and games.
“Obviously the great weather always helps,” Long Beach City Councilman George Ennis said. “But the mood and the atmosphere was very upbeat. Everybody seemed to be in good mood.” Ennis, a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians Honor Guard, has served as co-chair of the event for the past two years.
From the early-morning hours into the evening, West Beech Street was closed to accommodate the parade, whose marchers included members of the Long Beach Lions Club, Long Beach Lifeguard Alumni, the Long Beach Public Library and over a dozen more organizations. This year’s grand marshal was Hooks for Heroes, an Island Park-based nonprofit that offers free charter fishing trips to veterans and first responders. John Deely, Jake Marlin, William Peyton and Maureen Walsh served as grand marshal aides.
“We have an incredible team,” Jack McCarthy, the Hibernians’ line of march co-chairman, wrote in a social media post following the event. “Good teamwork and a ton of time put into making it a great day for the people of Long Beach.” McCarthy worked with fellow line of march Co-chairman Lenney Peters to coordinate the parade route and participants.
The annual event is one of several throughout the year that give Long Beach a chance to gather to enjoy community and support local businesses. “The crowds were great and largely well-behaved,” City Manager Dan Creighton said at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, “with only two arrests in the whole evening.” Ennis explained that the Hibernians work with city officials and the Police Department to ensure a safe and enjoyable atmosphere for all of the attendees, making the day a family event.
“Ten years ago, leading up to Irish Day, I would hear a lot of people moaning about it,” Ennis said of the event’s raucous history. “Now, 99 percent of what I hear, people are looking forward to it and, when it’s over, people, by and large, have nothing but positive things to say about it.”
Throughout the day, street vendors offered arts and crafts, toys and food while traditional carnival games and rides were set up along the parade route. More than 20 musicians performed live — inside eateries, on street corners or on the city bandwagon, which was set up at the corner of West Beech Street and Maryland Avenue. The festival officially ended at 5 p.m., but the celebration continued into the night, with bars and restaurants offering specials to keep the party going until nearly midnight.
