Ocean County St. Patrick's Day Parade: See It In Photos

SEASIDE HEIGHTS, NJ — The annual Ocean County St. Patrick's Day parade stepped off a bit late on Saturday, but everywhere you looked there were green hats, green shirts and even green hair.

While the parade was full of high spirits and bagpipes, there were some present who were trying to bring attention to various causes. That included Gerard McVeigh, a full-blooded Irishman who dressed in full tartan to honor his heritage and also to bring attetion to NJ Connect, the state's resource line for those battling heroin addiction. He also spent part of Saturday morning taking part in a ceremony honoring the 155th anniversary of the Irish Brigade that served in the Civil War.

McVeigh, a Whiting resident and member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, has relatives in Ireland in County Amaugh in the north and County Kilkenny in the south.

"Hopefully one day they'll be united again," he said of the split between Northern Ireland and the remainder of the country.

If you missed the parade, take a look at this photo gallery and check out the Facebook video below.

Photos and video by Karen Wall, Patch staff