Southampton Firefighters March In Ireland St. Pat's Parade

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — Irish eyes were smiling recently as a longtime tradition of friendship and brotherhood between the Southampton Fire Department and the Dublin Fire Brigade remained steadfast.

According to Chris Brenner, public information officer for the Southampton Fire Department, four members of the SFD recently traveled to Dublin, Ireland to march side by side in the St. Patrick's Day parade.

Chief of Department Alfred Callahan, Lieutenant Michael Adamczyk, and firefighters Graham Fynes and Nick Maddock spent six days in Dublin being hosted by the DFB Social Club and Dublin Fire Brigade members, experiencing "amazing tours, new friendships, and proof that an ocean does not separate the camaraderie of firefighters," Brenner said.

SFD Firefighter Graham Fynes has his roots in Dublin, with his brother Dan a station officer and his father Damien a retired district officer and current drum major of the DFB Pipe Band, Brenner said.

"This connection has seen the SFD travel to Dublin for the third time, and DFB being hosted in the United States once for Fourth of July," he said. "Marching in a parade of 400,000 spectators on the historic streets of Dublin is one of the most incredible experiences — words cannot properly do justice."

During the visit, SFD members were treated to tours of the countryside, a round of golf at the Island Golf Club — a links-style course outside of Dublin — and "general VIP treatment everywhere they went for six days," Brenner said. "The final stop before the airport was a personal tour of the Mansion House, the residence of the Lord Mayor of Dublin."

There were introductions to the Lord Mayor, Alison Gilliland, Chief Fire Officer Dennis Keeley, and Kellie Harrington, an Irish gold medalist boxer, he said.

"The DFB firefighters and officers made this the most amazing trip anyone can experience," Brenner said.

Preparations are underway to hopefully host the DFB in New York again, maybe as early as this July 4, Brenner said.