Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 12/27/2023
WEST SPRINGFIELD — Applications are being accepted until Jan. 6, 2024, from young ladies who wish to participate in the town’s 2024 Colleen Contest, an event celebrating Irish heritage.
“This will be our 40th colleen,” said Joanne O’Toole of the West Springfield Colleen Committee, who anticipates many applications. “We hope to have plenty of girls. A lot of them start filling out their applications over Christmas school vacation.”
O’Toole said the pageant allows young women to explore and express their Irish heritage. Participants will learn about the Emerald Isle’s culture, including traditional Irish dances.
She noted the community aspect of the pageant and the friendships that have emerged among the contestants. “We see lifelong bonds among the court members all the time,” she remarked.
Contestants must be of Irish descent, residents of West Springfield, and aged between 17 and 22 by March 17. Contestants must also be unmarried and without children.
The individual named the town’s colleen will receive a $1,000 scholarship, a tiara, a gift certificate to a local business, an Irish knit sweater, invitations to local St. Patrick’s events, and the central position on the town’s float in the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade.
Four other contestants will be named members of the colleen’s court, and will get a $500 scholarship, a gift certificate, a sweater, event invitations and also ride in the parade float.
Entry applications can be found at www.stpatricksparadecommitteeofwestspringfield.org.
Applicants must submit a 250-word essay answering the question, “What do your family’s Irish traditions mean to you?” The paper is due on the day of the annual Colleen Tea, which is scheduled for Jan. 14 at a location to be announced.
The contest moves into its next phase, selecting five finalists, Jan. 27, from 6 to 9 p.m. at West Springfield Middle School. Tickets for the Jan. 27 event are available for purchase at the door. Prices are set at $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and students, and free entry for children under 6.
The crowning of the colleen will occur Feb. 3 during the Ceade/Awards Night at the Storrowton Carriage House. At the same event, the town’s parade marshal will be introduced and will receive the ceremonial walking stick, and the committee will also introduce its annual award winners.
After a yearlong run in 2023, colleen Emmalee Spear will soon relinquish the coveted tiara. Along the journey, she was accompanied by court members Paige Davis, Jillian Stopa, Lauren Fletcher, and Kadyn McDonough.
O’Toole mentioned the involvement of local middle school students in designing the parade float. The winning design is chosen by the committee and used by the colleen participants in the parade.
Organizers thanked all prospective participants and wished them the best in this cultural celebration. Agawam, Chicopee, and Springfield will select colleen courts in the coming months, culminating with the Feb. 17 Holyoke Grand Colleen Coronation Ball at the Log Cabin.
The 71st Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade will occur Sunday, March 17. The 47th St. Patrick’s Road Race is Saturday, March 16. For more information about the parade and associated events, visit www.holyokestpatricksparade.com or search for the parade on social media.