Cork's Catherina Casey to lead London St Patrick's Day parade

The Corkonian will also be bestowed with the freedom of the city of London in April

Catherina Casey, a full-time mentor and life coach, lives in London with her partner and two daughters. File picture

Cork woman Catherina Casey has been announced as grand marshal for the London St Patrick's Day parade.

The Blarney woman is also set to receive the Freedom of the City of London for her work with the Irish community there, and will receive the honour at Guildhall next month.

Ms Casey moved to London in 1999 and has lived there ever since with her partner and two daughters.

Catherina Casey with James Nesbitt, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, and Pascal Donohue at London's St Patrick’s Day Parade in 2019. 

She is a full-time mentor and life coach but also voluntarily manages the online Irish in London Network — which she founded in 2014.

The network supports the Irish community in London. 

It has a combined following of 40,000 followers across Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and a new website is in development.

Ms Casey said: "The phone rang. It was my friend and fellow Corkonian, Paul Whitnell, president of the British-Irish Trading Alliance.

He said 'you’re going to have to get your gladrags on, girl  — the community advisory board have just nominated you to be this year’s grand marshal to lead the parade!'"

My eyes filled with tears. I could not believe it.

"Not in a million years, would I have dreamed that I would be leading the Mayor of London’s St Patrick’s parade as grand marshal in 2023."

Catherina Casey meeting Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 2011.

In 2009, Ms Casey was appointed chairwoman of the Mayor of London's St Patrick's community advisory board (CAB).

During her 10 years at the helm of the advisory board, Ms Casey had a run-in with Boris Johnson and even rubbed shoulders with Queen Elizabeth II.

In 2011, Ms Casey was invited to Buckingham Palace. "It was the most amazing event and the positive energy in the room was palpable, almost as though we could feel history in motion. I was honoured to be part of this momentous occasion," she said.

That same year, Queen Elizabeth II visited the Republic of Ireland — the first British monarch to do so in 100 years.

In 2012, when Mr Johnson was mayor of London, he made a statement to the press suggesting that the St Patrick’s Festival dinner was a ‘lefty’ fundraiser for Sinn Féin.

And as chairwoman of the CAB, the onus was on Ms Casey to get an apology for the infuriated members of the Irish community in London.

"This was my first test," she said.

And she passed, as Mr Johnson issued an apology in the form of a letter saying: "I regret any unintended offence I might have given."

Then mayor of London Boris Johnson apologised to the Irish community for suggesting the St Patrick’s Festival dinner was a ‘lefty’ fundraiser for Sinn Féin.

In 2019, after a decade leading the CAB, Ms Casey decided to step down and Larry O'Leary, who is also from Cork, took over.

According to Ms Casey: "The 'rebels' really are taking London."

The parade will start at noon this Sunday, March 12, from near Hyde Park corner, and will proceed down through Piccadilly, Trafalgar Square, and finishing at Whitehall.

Ms Casey said "that young woman from Cork who left with big dreams" will now lead the parade as "a proud Corkonian and proud Irish woman".