A new Ms. Shamrock shares Irish good wishes for St. Patrick’s Day events
Tonya Nosbisch of Charles City, the new Ms. Shamrock for 2018, stands in Otto's Oasis next to the shamrock display. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.
Tonya Nosbisch of Charles City, the new Ms. Shamrock for 2018, stands in Otto's Oasis. Press photo by Thomas Nelson.
By Thomas Nelson, tnelson@charlescitypress.com
Tonya Nosbisch of Charles City is the new Ms. Shamrock for 2018 and will be in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 17. She is the 25th Ms. Shamrock.
John Morris, one of the parade organizers, said Ms. Shamrock is chosen each year by leprechauns … a council of leprechauns … that meets in secret.
“The Leprechauns chose her,” Morris said about Nosbisch.
Nosbisch has been going to Charles City’s St. Patricks Day Parade since she was little, she said. Her favorite part is the bagpipes.
“I always like ‘Irish Eyes,'” Nosbisch said. “It’s in our blood I think.”
She had bagpipes play at her wedding.
“My Irish heritage is on my paternal grandparents side,” said Nosbisch in an email to the Press. “My grandma was Frances Riley and her great great-grandparents are from Meath County by Dublin and my grandfather was Paul Shannon and his great-great-grandparents are from Ireland near Shannon.”
Shannon being her maiden name.
“I would love to see this small town parade triple in size and want to encourage everyone to come out and enjoy St. Patricks Day and Irish heritage,” Nosbisch said, adding “Sláinte!” meaning cheers in Gaelic.
The Charles City St. Patrick’s Day parade is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Saturday, starting at City Tap and going down Main Street.
“Anybody that wants to be in the parade is certainly more than welcome to participate,” Morris said. “We encourage it.”
Following the parade, the Charles City St. Patrick’s Day pub crawl will commence.
The weather is expected to be in the upper 40-degree range on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service, without a chance of rain.
The pub crawl will end at midnight. Pub on the Cedar, Comet Bowl, Hot Shots, City Tap and DeRailed will be participating, and shuttle buses will be running during the pub crawl.
“Also, there’s a St. Patricks Day 5k at 9:30 a.m. in Nashua in support of after-prom, so folks can make it a full fun day,” Nosbisch said. “I’m just excited.”
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