St. Patrick's Day Parades: Tradition or American Invention?

On March 17th, thousands of St. Patrick's Day Parades take place across the globe. New York's parade, dating back to the 1760s, draws three million people and reinforces the stereotype that the parade is an American invention. Yet parades have been taking place since at least the early 17th century. The real origins of St. Patrick's Day Parade are far more complicated, and far more contentious, than anyone imagines. In this episode, originally released on Transatlantic, the Irish American history podcast I make with Damian Shiels, we explore this history with Dr. Cian T. McMahon from the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Cian challenges the myths surrounding the parade's origins and reveals how it became one of the world's most contested cultural events. He examines how it reflects the constantly changing nature of Irish identity and explores how women and LGBTQ+ activists fought for the right to participate in a celebration that was often fiercely controlled. Cian T. McMahon is Professor of History at the Department of History and Honors College at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. He was the co-editor of The Routledge History of Irish America and is the author The Coffin Ship: Life and Death at Sea during the Great Irish Famine and T he Global Dimensions of Irish Identity: Race, Nation and the Popular Press, 1840-1880 . Note from Fin: I have updated this episode since it was first published to correct a mistake in the original version. In the intro, I mistakenly referred to the LGBT community as the "LGB community", omitting the T. I understand that this term is often used in a way that denigrates the trans community. That was entirely unintended on my part, and I am very sorry. Sound by Kate Dunlea. Listen to American Emigrants in Irish Folklore on Transatlantic, An Irish American History Podcast: Support the show: Patreon.com/irishpodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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St. Patrick's Day Parades: Tradition or American Invention? is an episode from Irish History Podcast by Fin Dwyer.

This episode is 48:51 long.

This episode was published on Mar 11, 2026.

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