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Irish, others parade for St. Patrick's

By Arlo Wagner
March 17, 2008

Thousands of people lined Constitution Avenue in Northwest yesterday for the District's annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, where flags representing the Emerald Isle and elsewhere waved, girls in brightly colored skirts danced an Irish jig and children scrambled for treats tossed from floats.

Green hats topped many a head, and warm clothing fended off the 40-degree temperatures and 27 mph winds.

Among the spectators were Peggy Dee and brother John Dee of Hyattsville. "We come every year," Miss Dee said. "I march every year in the first of the parade. It's especially nice this year."

Miss Dee was standing at Seventh Street Northwest, where the parade started at noon. She had marched to the end of the parade route, at 17th Street Northwest, then returned to the start about an hour later to join her family.

The Dees smiled as the green-and-gold Dubliners passed, throwing candy to children — and a few adults.

Next came two white horses pulling a carriage with a sign, "Murphys a Grand Irish Pub D.C. Alexandria."

Men in costume pedaling high-wheel bicycles followed. Then came brown Irish terriers tugging at their leashes.

"I marched in the very first St. Patrick's Day Parade," said Miss Dee, recalling 1969 when the celebration began at Dupont Circle on Massachusetts Avenue Northwest and ended at Sheridan Circle and the Irish Embassy.

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