Grand Marshal Terence Mullin to Lead 50th Rockaway St. Patrick’s Day Parade

By Katie McFadden

The 50th Annual Queens County St. Patrick’s Day Parade is this Saturday, March 1. At the beginning of the parade will be this year’s Grand Marshal, Rockaway’s own Terence Mullin, who will be joined by several other honorees, many from the peninsula.

It seems the sun will be shining on the Irish as the 50th annual parade will have a 50-degree day on Saturday. The festivities will begin with a Mass at 9 a.m. at St. Francis de Sales on Beach 129th Street. This year’s honorees and their families will then have a breakfast at the Knights of Columbus before heading back uptown to Beach 130th Street to line up. The parade kicks off at 1 p.m. down Newport Avenue, makes a turn on to Beach 116th Street, and then continues down Rockaway Beach Boulevard to the St. Camillus parking lot at Beach 100th Street. The grandstand will be around Beach 105th Street.

Among this year’s honorees are honorary grand marshals, Dr. James McLaughlin, a cardiologist for Crystal Run Healthcare, and Eileen Flannelly Mackell, Vice President of the Central Royalty Container Collection Fund of the International Longshoreman Association and the United States Maritime Alliance. There are also 12 deputy grand marshals this year including retired NYPD officer John Tansey, Brian Sharkey of the New York Corrections Department Emerald Society and Grand Council United Emerald Society, James Moroney of Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 21, Tribute Park stained glass artist Patrick Clark, Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians members Joanne Larcheveque and retired NYPD officer Catherine O’Connor, Graybeard Bill Dunn, NYS Court Officer Michael Wallace, New York Guard 2nd Lieutenant Melissa Farrell, Kevin Bagley of DSNY, Brendan Gallagher of the Irish American Building Society, and Thomas Meyer, EHS’ Vice President of Facilities, Support Services, and Emergency Preparedness.

And this year’s big honoree, from Belle Harbor, is Grand Marshal Terence Mullin. Mullin is Vice President, Account Executive for Fidelity National Title’s New York National Commercial Services (NCS) operation, but around here, many know him as a co-owner of Callie’s on Beach 129th Street, and as a regular volunteer for local activities and organizations, especially when it comes to basketball.

Originally from the Flatlands section of Brooklyn, Mullin, the youngest of five kids, including Kathy, the late Roddy, Chris and John, landed in Rockaway in 2002, with his wife Chrissy, who he married 28 years ago. Together they have five kids, Terence, Caitlin, Colin, Callie and Caroline. Up until last year, when Caroline finished 8th grade, Mullin had been coaching basketball for about 30 years, including St. Francis de Sales’ CYO for about 15 years. Having played basketball himself at St. Thomas Aquinas in Brooklyn, Xaverian High School and then St. John’s University, Mullin jumped right into coaching after finishing college, heading back to his alma mater, Xaverian, where he was a teacher and basketball coach for about 11 years. He then got involved in St. Francis de Sales CYO, the Summer Classic, including serving as director of the girls’ league for about 10 years, he started the Rockaway Celtics basketball AAU team, and he even ran his own Mullin Basketball Camp in the summer for neighborhood kids. In between that, Mullin found time to join The Graybeards, became a board member for St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy, help with the Stephen “Shakey” Conway Scholarship Fund and got involved with HeartShare Human Services. And when he and his partners opened Callie’s in 2020, they’ve continued to serve the community. “We give back to the community that’s been so great to us and supported us,” Mullin said.

Now the community has an opportunity to cheer Mullin on at Saturday’s parade. But despite all that he’s done for Rockaway, Mullin remains humble about being named the grand marshal for the 50th Annual Queens County St. Patrick’s Day Parade. “I was very honored and a little surprised. I know there’s so many other men and women that are worthy of this and there’s so many people in the community that do so many great things. Rockaway and St. Francis de Sales are filled with people looking to help and there’s a lot of people who do things behind the scenes and don’t look for accolades. I know there’s a lot of other men and women who easily should have been honored,” Mullin said.

But the Mullin family is excited for him, and many of his children will be coming back to town just to see him march. “My son, Terence, works in Florida, so he’s flying up. My son, Colin is a sophomore at Loyola, and he’ll be driving up for the weekend to join their siblings. I also have a bunch of friends coming in that live outside of Rockaway and close friends in Rockaway who will be supporting as well,” Mullin said.

Many of them also joined him at the annual dinner dance fundraiser at Antun’s on February 8. “It was a great night that was well attended. Parade president Michael Benn and his team, and Antun’s did a great job. It was a little tough with the weather, but everyone got there and got home safely and hopefully everyone will be there on Saturday,” Mullin said.

Fortunately, the weather will be better on Saturday and Mullin is looking forward to marching for the first time in the place he calls home. “This is an honor and we’re lucky to be a part of the Rockaway family and the St. Francis de Sales family. Rockaway is a great place to raise a family and I’m very fortunate to be a part of it,” he said.

Mullin will be marching after the County Tyrone Pipe & Drums band, from the county where he finds his roots. “My grandparents on my dad’s side were from Tyrone, a small town called Six Mile Cross,” Mullin shared.

And after the parade, Mullin will find himself at the place grown from roots he planted in Rockaway—Callie’s. The restaurant, located at 410A Beach 129th Street, will be serving corned beef and cabbage and other Irish delights on the menu, beverages to wash it down, and live music by Anthem, starting at 3 p.m. All are welcome to join in the post-parade celebration.