The Hibernian Society: The originators of the Savannah St. Patrick’s Day Parade

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Dubbed the originators of Savannah’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the Hibernian Society is the oldest of Savannah’s Irish organizations.

Savannah’s beloved tradition of celebrating St. Patrick’s Day has withstood the test of time, growing into one of the largest celebrations in the nation.

“It’s a tradition in our family like no other,” Hibernian Society of Savannah President Patrick Rossiter said.

But its origins started small—all thanks to 44 gentlemen—most of them Irish--who founded the Hibernian Society of Savannah in 1812.

“They always did something special on St. Patrick’s Day,” Hibernian Society of Savannah Historian Dr. John Jaugstetter said.

In 1824, the Hibernian Society placed an announcement in the local paper inviting all Irishmen in Savannah to attend mass and march the streets of downtown on St. Patrick’s Day.

“The society met at 10 o’clock in the morning, had their annual meeting, had their elected officers and then processed or marched from there to the local Catholic church which was over on Montgomery Street,” Jaugstetter said.

The first Bishop of the Diocese of Charleston delivered a speech to the congregation, becoming the society’s first honorary member.

“Bishop England gave a beautiful speech apparently. The first half of it was in Gaelic. And then he did it in English,” Jaugstetter said.

This became known as the birth of Savannah’s famous St. Patrick’s Day parade. The procession quickly growing each year.

“Two years after that it was quite a large parade,” Jaugstetter said.

In the parade’s 200 years, the procession has only been called off a couple of times.

“During the Civil War for several years, there were no parades. During one of the epidemics in the early days, there were no parades,” Jaugstetter said. Over the centuries, several U.S. presidents have addressed the Hibernian Society of Savannah, including Presidents Taft, Roosevelt, Truman, and Carter. “Taft was a tremendous hit with the city of Savannah. He praised the society so much. He loved the city,” Jaugstetter said. " We were a little off-beaten place to have the President of the United States come here.”

Originally founded to help needy Irish immigrants, the Hibernian Society of Savannah continues its mission to give back to the community today.

“The legacy in the Hibernian Society has been service. Service to the Irish community, service to the community in general,” Rossiter said.

A community that has embraced its Irish neighbors, celebrating their rich heritage in what has become a season of reunion for Savannahians.

“So many people do come back to Savannah not just because for the parade, but because it’s sort of a homecoming,” Jaugstetter said.