"It's great to see Tom doing so well," said Michael Geoghegan of Cork City, Clifford's co-producer and an Irish immigrant himself. "Just like there is no way of communicating the word no in Gaelic, there's no way of saying no to Tom."

Pipes and drum corps, the bagpipers from area police and fire departments as well as area schools, provided the bulk of the afternoon's entertainment.

The largest pipe and drum unit was the Boston Gaelic Fire Brigade.

Over 40 men formed this organization, and they marched with impeccable precision. Looking down their ranks, and noticing the powerful uniformity and elegance in their dress, audience members said they were stunned by their precision and power.

Sally O'Sulivan, June Marshall, and Kathy Beasley, three young women from Medford, had been dancing line-dances for the duration of the parade.

But when the Boston Gaelic Fire Brigade passed, even they temporarily paused to watch the pipers.

Several social organizations also took part in the procession.

Direct from Ireland, Lorraine Shine and Patricia O'Connor cheered as eight members of their organization, Special Olympics Ireland, walked in the parade next to their Cantabrigian counterparts.

Special Olympics Ireland is an extension of the American organization of the same name, but what is special about Shine and O'Connor's group is that it is the first of its kind to sponsor a global partnership in activities for persons with disabilities.

Following a few weeks in the States, learning about the U.S. and basketball, Shine and O'Connor will return to Ireland with members of the Cambridge Special Olympics basketball team to teach them about the Emerald Isle and about soccer.

"Everything about our stay has been wonderful," said Shine. "The parade, the children, the community."

After the parade, a stream of people descended on the Andrew and Broadway T stations, many commenting that this year's parade was yet another great reminder of the presence and influence of the Irish people in Boston.