Monday, November 8^th, 2010

The New York City St Patrick’s Day Parade Committee is pleased to announce the Grand Marshal for the Historic 250^th New York City St Patrick's Day Parade will be the world renowned writer and novelist Mary Higgins Clark.

Mary Higgins Clark was born and raised in The Bronx. She traces her Irish ancestry to Frenchpark in County Roscommon and counties Sligo and Mayo. During her career she has written twenty-nine novels, many short stories, movie scripts and co-authored five additional novels with her daughter. Ms Clark is active in Catholic affairs and has received twenty-one honrary doctorates and numerous honors from many organizations across the world recognizing her life long endeavours.

Mary Higgins Clark will lead the marchers up Fifth Avenue on Wednesday, March 17^thm 2011 for the 250^the consecutive St Patrick's Day Parade in New York City. The Parade is the world's oldest and largest civic parade and celebrates "The Faith of Ireland, Irish heritage and Culture.

John Dunleavy, Chairman of the Parade, said "We are truly delighted Mary Higgins Clark has been unanimously selected as the 2011 Grand Marshall. She is an outstanding Irish American who has devoted a huge amount of her energy and charisma to building enduring ties between Irish-America and the rest of the world. We know that her selection will be a widely popular one."

The New York City St Patrick's Parade marched for the first time in 1762, fourteen years before the Declaration of Independence was signed in Independence Hall, Philadelphia. The Parade is regarded as the most popular of all the Parades in New York City, and honors Saint Patrick - the patron Saint of Archdiocese of New York and Ireland. The New York Parade consists only of marchers and each year hosts some 250,000 marchers and two million spectators. The Parade has many outstanding marching bands from throughout the United States and from all over the world.

The occasion is televised live to millions of households nationwide for hours by host station WNBC Channel Four. The broadcast of the Parade is also webcast live via the internet through the Parade's web site at http://NYCStPatricksParade.org and WNBC Channel Four web site at http://www.nbc.com.