NEWPORT GOES GREEN IN MARCH
By Michael Quinlin
Newport, Rhode Island comes alive each March as the city celebrates St. Patrick’s Day and Irish Heritage Month. And no wonder: Rhode Island ranks 3rd in the nation in percentage of residents claiming Irish ancestry at 17.9%, according to the U.S. Census.
Newport’s Irish connections date back to the 18th century, when Irish philosopher George Berkeley settled in Middletown, RI from 1729 until 1731, bringing his wife, an entourage of servants, and a library of 1,000 books. When his plans to build a college to teach Indian children alongside settlers fell through, Berkeley donated his books to Yale University, then returned to Ireland, where he became Bishop of Cloyne. Today, scholars come to Whitehall House, Berkeley’s original home, to study the famous Irish philosopher.
In the 19th century Irish immigrants came to the Newport area, drawn by its bustling seaport and nearby coal mines. Irish stone masons built Fort Adams, a massive project (1824-1857) and returned during the Gilded Age (1870 to 1910), to build Newport’s famous seaside mansions. Today, Middletown, Narragansett, Charlestown, Scituate and Jamestown also have large Irish-American populations.
The Irish highlight of the season is the 66th Annual Newport St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which takes place at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 12. The two-hour parade kicks off at Newport City Hall, travels down Thames Street to Carroll Avenue through the Fifth Ward and ends at St. Augustine’s Church.
Newport native and Parade Committee Chairman Dennis P. Sullivan, an organizer of the event for over two decades, says the family-friendly parade provides a chance for locals to meet up with each other, and also draws visitors from across the region to participate in the festivities.
This year, Sullivan says, the parade’s most popular pipe bands - the Rhode Island Highlanders, and the AOH Newport Pipe + Drums Band - will proudly march. The parade was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic. This year’s parade is dedicated to the late parade volunteer Garrett M. “Gary” Loftus, while the Grand Marshal is local hotelier Robert “Rocky” Kempenaar II. Depending upon weather, the parade draws from 25-50,000 spectators.
The Ancient Order of Hibernians has been in Newport since 1876 and boasts more than 500 members. Its two-story building at 2 Wellington Avenue is said to be one of the largest Hibernian halls in the United States.
And right down the street, at 648 Lower Thames Street, is the Museum of Newport Irish History, which offers interpretative exhibits of the city’s Irish history, as well as lectures, concerts and special events.
Since 2002, Newport has been paired as a sister city with Kinsale in County Cork, which is known as the Gourmet Capital of Ireland. Every few years a group of Irish chefs visit Newport to share their culinary treasures, followed by Newport chefs going to Kinsale to share their cuisine, according to Kathryn Farrington, vice president of marketing for Discover Newport.
In addition to Irish activities, Newport is a bustling destination through the spring, including: Newport Restaurant Week - April 1-10, Newport Daffodil Days - April 1-30, Newport Rhode Race - April 16, and the Newport Beer Festival on April 30. In May, don’t miss the Newport Oyster & Chowder Festival on May 21, and the Atlantic Cup Race on May 26. More at https://www.discovernewport.org/
