THE PLUCK O' THE IRISH

From Dogtown to downtown, St. Louis celebrates

By: Diane Toroian
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
March 18, 2001

The St. Patrick's Day parades in Dogtown and downtown are like Guinness Stout and Harp Lager. Yes, they're both Irish, but their flavors are totally different.

While the 32nd annual St. Patrick's Day Parade downtown featured large character balloons, marching bands and floats, the 18th annual Hibernians' St. Patrick's Day Parade in the Dogtown neighborhood, just south of Forest Park, is a more modest event where Irish clans throw Tootsie Rolls from flatbed trucks.

Thousands of St. Louisans enjoyed the sunny weather at both of the events Saturday. Typically, the parades step off on different days - the downtown march takes place on the Saturday closest to St. Patrick's Day while the Ancient Order of Hibernians celebrate on March 17. This year, the days were one and the same, forcing revelers to pick between two traditions.

"I love them both. Dogtown is wall-to-wall people. Downtown has its own great atmosphere," said Chubby Duncan, 70, of St. Louis. "I hate to choose between the two, but you have, to stick with tradition.

For Duncan and almost 50 friends and family members, that means setting up the grill on the corner of Market and 14th street at 7:30 a.m.

"This is known as Duncan's Corner," said friend Jerry Voss, 45, of Florissant, as he flipped hot dogs. A whole head of cabbage roasted in the center of the grill next to a slab of corned beef. "You've got to let it slow cook for three hours and drink 12 beers."

Folks in Dogtown have their own traditions. Families reunite every year for a corned beef dinner at St. James the Greater Catholic Church and a pint at Pat's.

"This is the real deal. I've only been coming for two years, but I feel like this is the true St. Patrick's Day," said St. Louis University student Chris Doyle, who rented a leprechaun costume for the day.

Kitty Gallagher Bruns of Ferguson recalls when the Hibernians split from the downtown parade. "My parents, who are both from Ireland, always went downtown, but when downtown started to reject Northern Irish marchers, they started their own parade," said Bruns, 61. "So now, we come here every year."