PARADE QUEEN
2024 PARADE QUEEN AND HONOR ATTENDANT
The annual Greater St. Patrick’s Day Parade Queen Selection, sponsored by the New Haven Gaelic Football & Hurling Club in East Haven, was held on February 10, 2024.The 2024 Parade Queen is Sarah Parlato. The 2024 Honor Attendant is Emily Burke.
Sarah Parlato, 2024 Parade Queen
Sarah Parlato is the daughter of Samantha and Frederick Parlato. She lives in East Haven and her ancestors hail from Counties Tipperary, Kildare, and Laois. Sarah previously studied Environmental Science at Northeastern University. She is currently employed by the East Haven Board of Education as a secretary at Overbrook Early Learning Center. Her personal ambition is to live her best life and aid others in living theirs. Sarah’s interests include reading, birdwatching, and kayaking. She also enjoys a variety of different art forms including sewing, crocheting, drawing, and painting. Sarah is a member of the New Haven Gaelic Football & Hurling Club.
Sarah Parlato, 2024 Parade Queen
Emily Burke, 2024 Honor Attendant
Emily Burke, 2024 Honor Attendant
Emily Ann Burke is the daughter of Peter and Lynda Burke. She lives in Hamden and her ancestors hail from the Counties Offaly, Cork, and Clare. Emily is a 2018 graduate of Southern Connecticut State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in communications and is working towards earning her health and life insurance license. She is currently employed by Advocates for Insurance Benefits as an administrative assistant. Emily’s personal ambition is to follow in her mother’s footsteps by becoming an advocate for the elderly as a Medicare insurance specialist. Her interests include reading, writing, and music. Emily is a member of the New Haven Gaelic Football & Hurling Club.
Parade Queen and Honor Attendant
A New Haven Irish Tradition since 1956. The Parade Queen and Honor Attendant are a proud iconic feature of the parade sponsored by the New Haven Gaelic Football & Hurling Club and Irish-American Community Center in East Haven.
Selected from contestants from the four Associated Irish Societies, New Haven Gaelic Football & Hurling Club, Knights of St. Patrick, Ancient Order of Hibernians (Fr. McKeon Div.), and West Haven Irish American Club. The Parade Queen and Honor Attendant represent all four organizations for the year.
| Year | Parade Queen | Honor Attendant |
| 2024 | Sarah Parlato | Emily Ann Burke |
| 2023 | Sierra O'Keefe | Tessa Mackey |
| 2020-2022 | Morgan Daley | Megan Burke |
| 2019 | Taylor Besciglia | Claire Bohan |
| 2018 | Bridget Judd | Maureen Heeran |
| 2017 | Abigail O’Keefe | Catherine Dignan |
| 2016 | Kaitlyn Cullagh | Caitlin Clark |
| 2015 | Margaret Heeran | Siobhan Dacey |
| 2014 | Alexis Wheway | Morgan Hildebrandt |
| 2013 | Fiona Stewart | Kate Thompson |
| 2012 | Carolyn Shea | Kate Thompson |
| 2011 | Kristina Conroy | Carolyn Shea |
| 2010 | Lindsey Stamp | Kristina Conroy |
| 2009 | Katie Morris | Brittney Lipsett |
| 2008 | Briana Conway | Laura Brayfield |
| 2007 | Erin Collins | Courtney Lundgren |
| 2006 | Maura Monahan | Briana Conway |
| 2005 | Melinda Enright | Jillian Mackey |
| 2004 | Moriah Conlan | Meghan Wilson |
| 2003 | Cathleen Steinau | Siobhan Straub |
| 2002 | Caitlin Monahan | Melinda Enright |
| 2001 | Sinead Stewart | Caitlin Monahan |
| 2000 | Barbara Stratton | Sheila Smyth |
| 1999 | Patricia Lilllis | Elizabeth Murphy |
| 1998 | Catherine Hopkins | Kara Roxbee |
| 1997 | Karen Freed | Tracy Henderson |
| 1996 | Laura Garrity | Karen Freed |
| 1995 | Karyn Gallagher | Laura Garrity |
| 1994 | Bernadette Smyth | Lisa Peckingham |
| 1993 | Doreen Keogh | Karyn Gallagher |
| 1992 | Mary-Kath Cullagh | Karyn Gallagher |
| 1991 | Katherine McGowan | Patricia O’Shea |
| 1990 | Josephine Craig | Katherine McGowan |
| 1989 | Geraldine Lillis | Irene Horgan |
| 1988 | Diane Graham | Eileen Conway |
| Year | Parade Queen | Honor Attendant |
| 1987 | Fionnuala Mackey | Mary Clarke |
| 1986 | Darcy Smith | Karen Sullivan |
| 1985 | Susan O’Connor | Lauren Montgomery |
| 1984 | Linda Gill | Lauren Montgomery |
| 1983 | Aileen Lawless | Maureen McDermott |
| 1982 | Kerry Lawless | Mary Ann Gannon |
| 1981 | Valerie Spangle | Maureen O’Reilly |
| 1980 | Margo Mackey | Mary Lynch |
| 1979 | Patty Roxbee | Margo Mackey |
| 1978 | Claire Barrett | Irene Wheeler |
| 1977 | Katie O’Keefe | Eileen McNulty |
| 1976 | Rosemary Hartigan | Kathie Roxbee |
| Year | Miss Ireland | Miss Irish American |
| 1975 | Janie O’Donovan | Sheila Keehan |
| 1974 | Bridie Smyth | Nora O’Keefe |
| 1973 | Edna Farrell | Ellyn Shields |
| 1972 | Helen Kellegher | Linda Beers |
| 1971 | Mary Joyce | Irene Devlin |
| 1970 | Catherine Cullagh | Bonnie McNulty |
| 1969 | Pam White | Catherine Thompson |
| 1968 | Elizabeth Smyth | Elizabeth Dalton |
| 1967 | Ruby Ashenhurst | Mary Flynn |
| 1966 | Maureen Canning | Rita Manning |
| 1965 | Grace Tighe | Patricia Collins |
| 1964 | Marglin Reardon | Margaret Farrell |
| 1963 | Patricia Foley | Kathleen Hanrahan |
| 1962 | Mary McArdle | Eileen Sullivan |
| 1961 | Mary Foley | Nancy Griswold |
| 1960 | Mary Sheehan | Patricia Griffiths |
| 1959 | Mary Theresa Corry | Patricia O’Connor |
| 1958 | Susan Smith | Mary Manning |
| 1957 | Mary McArdle | Maureen Hanrahan |
| 1956 | Mary McCarty | Maureen Earl |
2023 Parade Queen Sierra O'Keefe
Sierra O'Keefe, 2023 Parade Queen
Sierra Grace O’Keefe is the daughter of Shawn and Laurie O’Keefe. She lives in Milford and her ancestors hail from County Galway. She is a 2022 Graduate of Assumption University. She graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology. Currently, she is a Doctor of Optometry candidate at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences with plans to graduate in 2026. Sierra’s personal ambition is to open an optometry practice. Once acquired, she wishes to use her doctorate to treat those in need both locally and globally while empowering patients to be active members in their healthcare journey. When not studying, her interests include community service, and being an active member of her school’s Student Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity as well as the American Academy for Optometry. Sierra also enjoys crocheting, cooking, golf and spending time with loved ones. Her parents are members of the West Haven Irish American Club.
2023 Parade Honor Attendant Tessa Mackey
Tessa Mackey, 2023 Honor Attendant
Tessa Mackey is the daughter of Wendy Mackey and the late John Joe Mackey. She lives in Guilford and her ancestors hail from County Kilkenny and County Cork. Tessa is a 2020 graduate of Brown University with Bachelor of Arts degree in Business and English. She is currently employed by
Airbase as a Sales Development Representative. Tessa is in the midst of transitioning her career to teaching high school English, which ties into her personal ambition of building a career around helping and encouraging others. Her interests include playing Gaelic football and hockey. She also enjoys singing, baking, storytelling and reading historical fiction novels. Tessa is a member of the New Haven Gaelic Football & Hurling Club.
Contestants with 2020-2022 Queens (R-L: 2020-2022 Honor Attendant Megan Burke, Keira Integlia, Molly McGovern, Tessa Mackey, Sierra O'Keefe, Caitlyn Kendzierski, 2020-2022 Queen Morgan Daley
2023 Parade Queen Sierra O'Keefe (left), 2023 Parade Honor Attendant Tessa Mackey (right)
(l to r): Morgan Daley, Teresa Bohan, Ellen Foley, 2019 Parade Queen Taylor Besciglia, 2019 Honor Attendant Claire Bohan, Megan Burke, Sierra O’Keefe, Elizabeth Beirne
(l to r): Elizabeth Beirne, Teresa Bohan, Ellen Foley, 2020 Honor Attendant Megan Burke, (seated) 2020 Parade Queen Morgan Daley, Sierra O’Keefe, 2019 Honor Attendant Claire Bohan, 2019 Parade Queen Taylor Besciglia
(l to r): Teresa Bohan, Ellen Foley, Elizabeth Beirne, (seated) 2020 Parade Queen Morgan Daley, 2019 Parade Queen Taylor Besciglia, 2020 Honor Attendant Megan Burke
(l to r): Megan Burke, Morgan Daley, Elizabeth Beirne, Sierra O’Keefe, Ellen Foley, Teresa Bohan
DONATE
The Associated Irish Societies is an IRS recognized non-profit with 501(c) (3) status. All donations are tax-deductible. Donations are payable to the Associated Irish Societies.
ABOUT
The Greater New Haven St. Patrick’s Day Parade is Connecticut’s largest single day spectator event attracting more than 325,000 people to the streets New Haven each year. The Parade is a longstanding tradition in the New Haven community, and the members of the Greater New Haven St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee volunteer to ensure the tradition continues.
© 2024 Associated Irish Societies, Inc.