Grand Marshal
The Grand Marshal of the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade is the highest local honor given to a person of Irish ancestry and either a resident of the city of Holyoke or a member of the Parade Committee. He/she has distinguished themselves as a loyal person to the Parade Committee, their career, their family, and to their Irish ancestry.
2026 Grand Marshal
Michael J. Moriarty
Respected community leader, lifelong Holyoke resident, and proud Irish American Attorney, Michael J. Moriarty has been connected to the Parade for nearly four decades. A member of the Committee for 38 years, he served as Parade President in 2017 and has held pivotal roles including Chair of the Ambassador Award Selection Committee, Chair of the Long Range Planning Committee, and service on the Music and Marketing subcommittees and Board of Directors. As the Committee liaison to the Consulate General of Ireland, he has strengthened Holyoke’s ties to the Republic of Ireland by welcoming dignitaries, fostering cultural exchange, and ensuring the Parade reflects the richness of both traditional and contemporary Irish life.
Beyond the Parade, Moriarty has led OneHolyoke CDC since 2013, driving initiatives to revitalize distressed neighborhoods and expand access to dignified, affordable housing in the city’s most underserved areas.
A passionate advocate for education, he has focused much of his career on early literacy and closing achievement gaps in Gateway Cities across the Commonwealth. A former Holyoke School Committee member, he later served on the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, completing two terms before Governor Maura Healey appointed him as a state commissioner to the National Education Commission of the States.
Moriarty holds a B.A. from The Catholic University of America (’85) and a J.D. from Western New England University School of Law (’93).
His community involvement also includes serving as Past President of the Holyoke Rotary Club and as a member of the Parish Council at St. Jerome Church in Holyoke. Proud of his Irish roots, Moriarty credits his heritage with shaping his values of community service, hospitality, and perseverance. His dedication to his community and education earned him recognition as a BusinessWest “Difference Maker” in 2014.
He is married to Attorney Susan Turcotte Moriarty, and they are the parents of Aiden and Josie.
The 73rd Grand Marshal
of the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade
Past Grand Marshals
1952 Thomas Rohan*
1953 Atty. John S. Begley*
1954 Daniel J. O’Connell*
1955 Rep. Emmett J. Cauley*
1956 Elmer J. Harrington, M.D.*
1957 William P. Sullivan*
1958 William R. Peck*
1959 Hon. William E. Nolan*
1960 John J. Driscoll, M.D.*
1961 Michael H. Moran*
1962 Hon. Maurice A. Donahue*
1963 Eugene O’Neill*
1964 Jeremiah J. Lawler*
1965 Joseph F. Lynch, D.M.D.*
1966 Atty. Joseph J. Kelley*
1967 Thomas W. Padden*
1968 William J. Dean*
1969 James F. Millane*
1970 Francis R. King*
1971 William G. Rogers*
1972 David M. Bartley*
1973 Timothy J. Sullivan*
1974 Dr. George E. Frost*
1975 William W. Mahoney*
1976 Richard J. Murphy*
1977 Francis J. Baker*
1978 Edward F. Sheehy*
1979 Judge John F. Moriarty*
1980 James J. Shea*
1981 Edward F. Nugent*
1982 Rev. Maurice B. Martin*
1983 John T. Hickey*
1984 James “Barry” Farrell*
1985 James E. O’Leary*
1986 Most Rev. Leo E. O’Neil, D.D.*
1987 Anne H. McHugh*
1988 Bernard M. Lavelle, Jr.*
1989 Thomas J. Donahue*
1990 James K. Kelly
1991 Patrick B. Bresnahan, III
1992 Edward B. (Pop) Coughlin*
1993 Atty. Maurice J. Ferriter *
1994 Robert J. Rohan*
1995 Charles W. “Bill” Dinn*
1996 Dr. Francis M. Baker*
1997 Dr. John E. McHugh*
1998 Daniel E. Tierney*
1999 Francis M. Kane
2000 Rev. Francis X. Sullivan*
2001 Most Rev. Joseph F. Maguire*
2002 James A. Curran*
2003 Atty. Peter F. Brady
2004 Joseph V. Gosselin*, Jr.
2005 Russell J. McNiff, Sr.
2006 Frederick L. Sullivan, Esq.
2007 Alan F. Cathro
2008 Judge Ann M. Gibbons*
2009 Christine Padden Zajac
2010 Joseph M. McGiverin
2011 Gerald D. Healy
2012 Barry J. Farrell
2013 Brian Q. Corridan
2014 Roger P. Donoghue*
2015 Raymond H. Feyre
2016 Patricia C. Devine
2017 Sr. Jane Morrissey
2018 David “Archie” Donoghue
2019 Roger J. Reidy
2020 - 2022 Atty. John J. Driscoll
2023 - Jane Coughlin Chevalier
2024 - Mary Lynch
2025 - James M. Lavelle
* Denotes Deceased