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’25th First Ever’ St Patrick’s Day parade marches on

  • Trudy O'Donnell, Charles City clerk, stands atop a green truck driven by Charles City Council member Jerry Joerger at the 25th First Ever St. Patrick's Day parade. Press photo by Thomas Nelson

  • The Charles City "Irish Airforce" flies over the 25th First Ever St. Patrick's Day parade. Press photo by Thomas Nelson

  • Ms. Shamrock strikes a pose as the 25th First Ever St. Patrick's day parade rolls past the Charles City Theater. Press photo by Thomas Nelson

  • Mayor Dean Andrews grabs candy to throw to the crowd at the 25th First Ever St. Patrick's Day parade Saturday evening in Charles City. Press photo by Thomas Nelson

  • The 25th First Ever St. Patrick's Day parade stretches down Main Street in Charles City Saturday evening. Press photo by Thomas Nelson

  • Charles City Mayor Dean Andrews leads the 25th First Ever St. Patrick's Day parade down Main Street. Press photo by Thomas Nelson

  • Parade-goers pose for a photo at City Tap prior to the 25th First Ever St. Patrick's Day parade. Press photo by Thomas Nelson

  • The Drouthy Ducks march down Main Street in Charles City during the 25th First Ever St. Patrick's Day parade. Press photo by Thomas Nelson

By Thomas Nelson, tnelson@charlescitypress.com

The sound of bagpipes and drums roared down Main Street Saturday evening, signaling the St Patrick’s Day parade.

The weather was was just right for the parade and Charles City residents lined Main Street to see the spectacle come down.

The parade is in its 25th year and was started by John Morris and a friend.

“Rick McDonald and I were having a beer one day and we decided it would be fun to have a parade,” Morris said. “We called it the First Ever St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Charles City.”

The parade is referred to as the First Ever St. Patrick’s Day Parade, even though it has been barrelling down Main Street for 25 years now.

Morris and the Drouthy Ducks, a bagpipe band, led the parade made up of anyone who wants to participate with no restrictions, only encouragement.

Drouthy is the Scottish word for thirsty.

Morris has been playing the bagpipes at the parade for 25 years.

Led by Mayor Dean Andrews and the bagpipers, the parade started at City Tap and proceeded to Riverside Drive.

After getting to the river the parade turned and marched straight into Pub on the Cedar to begin the St. Patrick’s Day pub crawl — another part of the 25-year tradition.

The Drouthy Ducks are made of one bass drummer and bagpipe players or pipers.

During the parade, the pipers played “Scotland the Brave,” “Blue Bells of Scotland,” “Auld Lang Syne,” “Murdo’s Wedding” and “Rowan Tree,” said Terry Cochran, the pipe major for the band.

The pipers were decked out in full regalia, with kilts, berets and dark sweaters as they marched away from the setting sun.

As the parade passed the Charles City Theater the Charles City  “Irish Airforce” passed over the parade to the delight of the crowd.

The “Irish Airforce” of course, fights off bad leprechauns and is made up of P-51 and P-47, Morris said.

Greg Francisco, a retired police officer from southeast Iowa for 28 years, was among the Drouthy Ducks and marched with them. He’s been playing 13 or 14 years.

“I’ve always played music in a band and that kind of thing,” Francisco said. “A guy hit me in the head and paralyzed half of my face so I couldn’t play a regular instrument anymore.”

Francisco also plays the bagpipes for the Cedar Rapids Police Honor Guard.

The bagpipes are the favorite part of the parade for Morris and Ms. Shamrock, Tonya Nosbisch.

Charles City Transit buses helped with the bar crawl.

Morene Baker, a bus driver, helped transport the crawlers from pub to pub.

“We pick up every 15 minutes,” she said. “They’ve done it for a lot of years.”

The pub crawl went among the Pub on the Cedar, Comet Bowl, Hot Shots, City Tap and DeRailed.

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