Gulf Shores St. Paddy’s Walking Parade will roll from Papa Rocco’s around 9:30 a.m.

Gulf Shores St. Paddy’s Walking Parade will roll from Papa Rocco’s around 9:30 a.m.
By Fran Thompson
The Irish do love their meloncholy. But maybe it is just an excuse to cry in our beer for a bit over friends gone by.
There will be some sadness remembering the longtime practicioners no longer alive to join us for the Gulf Shores St. Patrick’s Day Walking Parade.
That is the nature of life and the nature of an event that traces its roots back for three generations.
But hose that came before will be celebrated and not mourned when the parade departs from the Papa Rocco’s deck at around 9:30 a.m. on March 17, for its annual song filled stroll to various downtown Gulf Shores watering holes.
The Green Horde is easy to find, as there is not a stop on the tour that will not include crowds milling on its outside decks.
Vince Murphy, who at that time owned The Pink Pony, started the walking parade and was first to carry the grand marshal baton. This was in the mid 1970’s. Murphy passed the baton to local character John Kelliher, who led the swarm into Papa Rocco’s just after Bill McGinnes opened his restaurant in 1984.
Kelliher, The Colonel to his friends, deemed McGinnes worthy of the grand marshal’s position in 1989.
Leading the musical march from the very beginning was Jocko McLain, the parade’s original bagpiper. and like McGinnes, a Scotsman.
Jocko participated in the parade right up until he passed in 2017.
“We met and we started talking about Scotland and The Rangers and it was like we had known each other for years,’’ McGinnes said. “We were close for many years. Jock gave me my first kilt.
“He was the original,’’ McGinnes added. “He was doing it way before my boys came down and played. Jocko will always be the soul of the parade.’’
“We met at the American Legion and we immediately sat down and killed off a bottle of Irish whiskey between us,’’ he said back in 2015. “We went back to Papa’s and had a few more. We’ve been bosom pals ever since. He’s become very close to me.’’
The parade bagpipers will include Neil McGinnes (Bill’s nephew). They will strike up the tune that starts the march to the Flying Harpoon, Mudbugs, The Steamer, Desoto’s, The Hangout, The Pink Pony, Gulf Island Grille and Hooters. The crawl ends around 2 p.m. at Mikee’s. By then most of the crowd will have scattered around downtown.
“Our snowbirds love it. And we get some spring breakers. We even have grandkids of some of the originals coming out with us,’’ McGinnes said.
Butch Nichols and Lindy Harris, the original parade flag carriers, will be toasted. Others hae stepped in to pick up the lead flags and carry on.
“It’s been getting bigger every single year. So I don’t see why that wouldn’t continue,’’ Papa McGinnes said. “It’s hard to believe this started out with about 30 people.’’
McGinnes continues to proudly look ofer the parade by applying for an official parade permit from Gulf Shores City Hall every year.
“We want to make sure the police know what we are doing. But we are not sure what we are doing besides having fun,’’