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A sparsely attended 2020 St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Scenes from a sparsely attended 2020 St. Patrick's Day ParadeRobert Mecea
Scenes from a sparsely attended 2020 St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Scenes from a sparsely attended 2020 St. Patrick's Day ParadeRobert Mecea
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Paul Coyle with daughter Niamh Coyle, age 11, and (right) Darrel Edwards. All came over for the St. Patrick Day's parade from Manchester and decided to walk along the route today.
Paul Coyle with daughter Niamh Coyle, age 11, and (right) Darrel Edwards. All came over for the St. Patrick Day's parade from Manchester and decided to walk along the route today.Robert Miller
Dermot Hickey, left, and Phillip Vega, right, ask a pedestrian to take their picture on a thinly trafficked Fifth Avenue after expressing their disappointment in the cancelation of the St. Patrick's Day parade due to coronavirus concerns.
Dermot Hickey, left, and Phillip Vega, right, ask a pedestrian to take their picture on a thinly trafficked Fifth Avenue after expressing their disappointment in the cancelation of the St. Patrick's Day parade due to coronavirus concerns.John Minchillo / AP
Dermot Hickey walks along 44th Street while holding an Irish national flag.
Dermot Hickey walks along 44th Street while holding an Irish national flag.John Minchillo / AP
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St Patrick's Cathedral
St Patrick's CathedralRobert Miller
Scenes from a sparsely attended 2020 St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Scenes from a sparsely attended 2020 St. Patrick's Day ParadeRobert Mecea
Scenes from a sparsely attended 2020 St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Scenes from a sparsely attended 2020 St. Patrick's Day ParadeRobert Mecea
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Scenes from a sparsely attended 2020 St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Scenes from a sparsely attended 2020 St. Patrick's Day ParadeRobert Mecea
Scenes from a sparsely attended 2020 St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Scenes from a sparsely attended 2020 St. Patrick's Day ParadeRobert Mecea
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They’re the fighting Irish.

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade stepped off Tuesday — despite being postponed over coronavirus fears — with a small group marching up Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue to keep the more-than 250-year tradition alive.

“New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade Board of directors and committee members were led from the 69th Regiment Armory up to Fifth Avenue where we marched and preserved the history of the Parade,” the group posted on Instagram.

The band of nine parade committee members and 20 members from the 69th Infantry Regiment kept their distance from each other as they marched in the rain at around 6:30 a.m. to the sounds of bagpipes and as they held up a banner that read “St. Patrick’s Day Parade.”

A tri-state agreement between New York, New Jersey and Connecticut bars all gatherings of 50 people or more, and Tuesday’s parade – which had a police escort — complied with the restrictions.

The small St. Patrick’s Day parade was unannounced and approved by the city, parade officials said.

“We wish everyone a very happy and safe St. Patrick’s Day,” St. Patrick’s Day Parade Chairman Sean Lane said. “I would like to personally thank the members of the parade committee, 69th regiment, and parade board, who joined our symbolic 259th march today and a special thank you to the NYPD.”

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Scenes from the 2019 NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade
Scenes from the 2019 NYC St. Patrick's Day ParadeHelayne Seidman
Scenes from the 2019 NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade
Scenes from the 2019 NYC St. Patrick's Day ParadeGetty Images
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Scenes from the 2019 NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade
Scenes from the 2019 NYC St. Patrick's Day ParadeGetty Images
Scenes from the 2019 NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade
Scenes from the 2019 NYC St. Patrick's Day ParadeAngel Chevrestt
Scenes from the 2019 NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade
Scenes from the 2019 NYC St. Patrick's Day ParadeGetty Images
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Scenes from the 2019 NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade
Scenes from the 2019 NYC St. Patrick's Day ParadeAP
Scenes from the 2019 NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade
Scenes from the 2019 NYC St. Patrick's Day ParadeREUTERS
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Parade-goers marched in the street from the 69th Regiment Armory at Lexington Avenue and E. 26th Street to St. Patrick’s Cathedral where a priest gave a blessing.

Then a smaller band of marchers walked on the sidewalk for the rest of the route, ending at 79th Street.

Parade officials said that marchers only met outside and walked several feet apart.

Typically, Manhattan’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade hosts some 250,000 marchers and two million spectators.

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