Daughters of Ireland honor wife of Savannah St. Patrick’s Day parade grand marshal

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - The Daughters of Ireland held a reception Thursday honoring Coleen Hogan, wife of Martin Hogan, who was elected Savannah’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade Grand Marshal on Saturday.

At the event, Coleen Hogan was presented with a sash — a tradition the organization has observed for more than 30 years.

“I’ve been watching Marty pour his heart and soul into the Irish community for years, so it’s just really special to see him honored with this,” Coleen Hogan said.

Coleen Hogan is a member of the Daughters of Ireland alongside her daughter Rosemary. The Hogan family has deep ties to Irish culture in Savannah and abroad. All three of the Hogan children hold dual citizenship.

Her son Liam is currently competing with Ireland’s national team in the Euro Sixes Lacrosse Tournament. Coleen Hogan said she is excited for the two honors to unfold at the same time.

“It’s just really exciting that it is happening at this time,” she said. “All the boys that he’s with, they’re really excited for Marty.”

The Daughters of Ireland host the Grand Marshal’s Wife’s Reception each year. Organization president Deana Shores said the group was overjoyed for the Hogan family and described the event as an important part of recognizing women in the Irish community.

“It shows our support for the women behind the men,” Shores said. “We are super proud of them, it’s going to be a great time. It’s going to be a long three weeks, but it’s gonna be well worth it.”

The event also welcomed the Legacy Irish Dance Academy, whose dancers performed traditional Irish step dances and modern numbers based on cultural themes.

Coleen Hogan said she looks forward to celebrating with the community in the weeks ahead.

“I love celebrating our culture, our religion and just all the facets of our community, because we are the ‘Hostess City,’” she said.

Coleen Hogan said she is looking forward to morning Mass most among the St. Patrick’s Day events. The Hogan family’s next scheduled event is the Grand Marshal’s Investiture, a public event set for March 1 at Regina Coeli Hall at 2:45 p.m.