Past Queens
Past Queens
Queen Nora Doyle - Year 2023
“The entire queen experience has been something out of a dream. The connections I have made and the friendships I have created are forever. My favorite part of my entire experience has to be throwing out the first pitch at the Chicago White Sox game. I had friends fly in from Minnesota and my cousin flew in from Washington DC. While I was nervous about the initial pitch I was just so happy this was an event that brought people together. That for sure had to be my very favorite day.”
Queen Bailey O'Connell - Year 2020-2022
“I saw that running for South Side Irish Parade Queen would have been a great way to represent my neighborhood and my community. It was a great honor to be chosen and to represent my Irish heritage. ”
Queen Bailey O’Connell, who had been selected in 2020 grew up in Mount Greenwood and is an alumna of Mount Greenwood Elementary and Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School. The South Side Irish Parade Queen will receive sponsorship from the South Side Irish Parade Committee to compete in the Chicago Rose of Tralee Selection as the South Side Irish Rose. The mission of the Chicago Rose of Tralee is to provide enrichment opportunities that will encourage young women of Irish descent to be exemplary role models for tomorrow’s youth and to make a positive difference in the world.
Queen Maggie Clifford - Year of 2019
“My favorite part of being queen was celebrating St. Patrick’s Day year round! I was so fortunate to represent my family, friends, and community on parade day! From wishing I was queen when I was younger, to joining the amazing women who represent the South Side Irish as parade queens; this experience has been a dream come true!”
Queen Colleen Krahn - Year of 2018
Hi! My name is Colleen Krahn and I was the 2018 South Side Irish Parade Queen. I am from Mount Greenwood and attended Queen of Martyrs, Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School and Saint Ambrose University. I am a Southwest Airlines Flight Attendant who loves the Chicago White Sox and pepperoni pizza.
Being the Queen meant a lot to me, as well as my family, because the parade has been such a meaningful tradition for many, many years for us all. My parents, siblings, Grandma Marion McGreal (pictured here at age 93), Aunts, Uncles, cousins and second cousins all enjoyed the fun and events all throughout the parade season! I am still honored that I was chosen to represent our tight knit community and know that those memories will stay with me forever!
Queen Shannon Zofkie - Year of 2017
“Being the South Side Irish Parade Queen was the culmination of years of celebrations with friends and family. Being the queen of the 2017 parade allowed me to represent the South Side Irish in a way that I had not before, and I will forever be grateful for that. Aside from annual appearances, I learned a lot about my Irish roots in the neighborhood and what that truly means to families who live here. I was even able to share my knowledge of the traditions of the South Side Irish Parade when I travelled abroad to Dublin. In addition, I have made lifelong friendships through the sisterhood created with all of the Parade Queens.”
Queen Allison Kelly - Year of 2016
“For me, being the SSIP Queen meant representing my community and making my family proud! The parade is a staple family event to the surrounding communities, it was an honor to be part of something so special”
Queen Mary Kate Love - Year of 2015
“Serving as the 2015 South Side Irish Parade Queen will always be a huge honor and one of my best memories. The South Side Irish community is made up of friends & family who support and love one another through everything. We keep tradition alive by marching every Sunday before St. Patrick’s Day, but the true tradition of the South Side Irish is being a tight knit community that creates memories together for generations to come!”
Queen Maeve McSweeney - Year of 2014
“Being the South Side Irish Parade Queen was one of the best things to ever happen to me. It brought me many opportunities that forever changed my life.”
Queen Margaret McGann - Year of 2013
“One of my most wonderful memories was my selection as the first South Side Parade Queen. The parade elicits the very essence of the South Side spirit. There was nothing like marching down Western Avenue on that crisp March afternoon. As I watched all the kids with their faces painted, smiling ear to ear and waving feverishly made me feel like an Irish Princess and I in turn, will be forever overflowing in love with our incredible South Side Irish neighborhood.”