Repping Long Island pride at NYC St. Patrick’s Day parade

Irish heritage is a big part of Long Island culture, and three local groups brought that pride to the NYC St. Patrick's Day parade. Students from Seaford and North Babylon high schools and parishioners of The Cathedral of St. Agnes in Rockville Centre marched in the parade. The students treated the crowd to musical and visual performances and the members of St. Agnes honored a fallen NYPD detective. The North Babylon High School marching band, kickline and color guard are regulars at the NYC St. Patrick's Day parade. They combined their blue-and-white Bulldog colors with fun pops of green for the Irish holiday. [gallery size="full" ids="289404,289403,289400,289402,289399"] The Seaford High School marching band and color guard are also reliable sights at the NYC parade! Their green-and-white Viking colors were already perfect for the St. Patty's festivities. [gallery size="full" ids="289397,289396,289395,289394,289398"]

Read also: Massapequa Hosts First St. Patrick’s Day Parade

The Cathedral of St. Agnes brought a banner honoring fallen NYPD detective Steven McDonald, a Rockville Centre Native. McDonald was shot in the line of duty as a rookie cop in 1986, leaving him paralyzed. He forgave the gunman and continued advocating for nonviolent conflict resolution for the rest of his life until he died in 2017. [caption id="attachment_289405" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] The Cathedral of St. Agnes, in Rockville Centre, honored fallen NYPD detective Steven McDonald during the NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade.Keith Rossein Photography[/caption]