Lyons Township senior to serve as queen of Countryside St. Patrick’s Day parade

Countryside Mayor Sean McDermott presides over two city council meetings each month, but there’s one meeting that stands out.

And that’s no surprise given the mayor’s Irish American roots.

“This is my favorite city council meeting of the year. We get to present our St. Patrick’s Day Parade queen and grand marshal,” said McDermott, who wore a green tie for the occasion.

At the Feb. 23 city council meeting, Catherine Ramicone was introduced as queen of the city’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, which starts at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Ramicone, 17, is a senior at Lyons Township High School. She fondly recalls watching the parade with family and friends each March. One of her mother’s cousins always sings Irish songs, she said.

“I never imagined being queen, but I am now,” Ramicone said. “I’m so proud to be queen because I’ve lived in Countryside my whole life.”

Ramicone does have a bit of a regal background. She was a member of the court for the 2020 parade when Faith Benson, also a senior at Lyons Township, was queen.

In a fitting transition, former queen Benson placed the crown atop Ramicone’s head to applause of those in the city council chambers.

There are three girls in the queen’s court: Ramicone’s sister Colleen, 15, a sophomore at Nazareth Academy; Olivia Perez, 17, of La Grange Park, a senior at Lyons Township; and Maureen Kane, 18, of La Grange Highlands, a senior at Lyons.

“I think it’s super cool,” Colleen Ramicone said when asked about her older sister being the queen.

“Maybe I’ll steal the crown from her,” Colleen quipped with a smile.

Benson, whose father is 3rd Ward Alderman Mark Benson, reigned for two years after the pandemic forced the cancellation of last year’s parade.

The job, she said, “definitely had its perks.”

“I got to be one with the community. It was super fun,” she said. “Riding in the back of a convertible. Great time. It was a little chilly, but we had blankets. Hot chocolate.”

Countryside resident Kevin Dahill played the bagpipes while he marched the queen and her court from the city council chamber.

Dahill’s friend, Thomas Boyle, is this year’s grand marshal.

“When Sean called up on a Saturday morning, I have to admit I thought he was joking,” Boyle said. “He said, ‘We want you to be the grand marshal.’ I said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’ ‘’

McDermott said Boyle, who is from Burr Ridge, “is really well-known in the Irish American community.”

Boyle has served more than 25 years on the board of directors of Chicago Gaelic Park, an Irish American institution on 147th Street in Oak Forest. He served as president from 1989 to 1992.

Boyle has strong ties to the city, having worked 37 years at Countryside Bank. He now is director of First National Bank of Brookfield.

Throughout his career, Boyle “was instrumental in helping hundreds if not thousands of Irish contractors and businessmen get started by lending them money,” McDermott said.

“And those individuals were able to raise families and contribute to our society and community,” McDermott said.

The community will benefit as proceeds from the parade will be shared by BEDS Plus, which helps the homeless, and Interfaith Community Partners, which helps senior citizens.

“I can’t think of anything more appropriate for St. Patrick than taking care of the elderly and providing housing for the homeless,” McDermott said.

The queen and her court also help others.

Catherine Ramicone is in the National Honor Society and a member of the student council at Lyons Township. She volunteers at Brookfield Zoo through the King Conservation Science Scholars.

Colleen Ramicone plants trees with the Environmental Club at school. A member of the Smile Club at Nazareth, she works with senior citizen residents of Bethlehem Woods.

Kane volunteers annually at St. Cletus Roman Catholic Church in La Grange, where she helps with the giving tree program and food pantry.

Perez volunteers at the First Congregational Church of Western Springs, where she teaches Sunday school.

This year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade princess is Maeve Watson of Indian Head Park.

Maeve, who turns 9 on March 4, is a competitive Irish dancer who has been dancing for five years. She danced during the council meeting.

An active member of La Grange Highlands Brownie Troop 55871, Maeve has participated in food drives, spring cleanups, gardening at her church and the Brookfield Zoo charity tree trim.