THE TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE OF THE TOWNSHIP OF UNION IN THE COUNTY OF UNION WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE ANTHONY J. “TONY” BRENNAN FOR BEING NAMED GENERAL CHAIRMAN OF THE 19TH ANNUAL UNION COUNTY ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE. THE PARADE WILL TAKE PLACE ON SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2015 AND REPRESENTS THE SENSE OF PRIDE AND DEDICATION THAT CITIZENS OF IRISH HERITAGE SHOW IN THEIR CULTURAL ACTIVITIES..
TONY BRENNAN HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THE UNION COUNTY ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE SINCE 1999. HE HAS SERVED AS SECOND VICE CHAIRMAN AND FIRST VICE CHAIRMAN. BUT, TONY IS BEST KNOWN AS THE “VOICE” OF THE UNION COUNTY ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE, HAVING SERVED AS THE PARADE’S LEAD TELEVISION ANNOUNCER SINCE JUST ABOUT ITS INCEPTION. HE HAS A PASSION ABOUT PROMOTING THE PARADE WHEREVER HE GOES ALL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
TONY IS THE SON OF ANTHONY J. BRENNAN AND FLORENCE BRENNAN. HIS FATHER, ANTHONY, IS DECEASED. HE HAS A BROTHER, PAUL, AND TWO NEPHEWS, PAUL, JR., AND A NIECE, ALYSSA. TONY HAS TWO GODSONS, MARK THOMAS SQUITIERI AND JACK KULESZA. HE HAILS FROM A FAMILY PROUD OF ITS LONG TRADITION OF POLICE WORK AND PUBLIC SERVICE TO THE RESIDENTS OF NEW JERSEY, WITH A COMBINED 250+YEARS IN 4 GENERATIONS. THE MEMORY OF HIS LATE COUSIN, NEW JERSEY STATE TROOPER THOMAS HANRATTY, HAS BEEN KEPT ALIVE EACH YEAR AT THE PARADE BY ACTIVE PARTICIPATION FROM THE STATE POLICE.
TONY HAS WORKED FOR THE NEW JERSEY OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, DIVISION OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, AS AN INVESTIGATOR FOR 29 YEARS. HE ALSO HAS WORKED IN LOCAL CABLE TELEVISION FOR NEARLY 22 YEARS, HAVING SPENT THE LAST 8 AS A PART OF THE STAFF OF UNION TV34. IN THAT CAPACITY, HE HAS DONE NUMEROUS STORIES WHICH HAVE AIRED ON THE WEEKLY NEWS MAGAZINE SHOW, “SPOTLIGHT ON UNION.” TONY ALSO HOSTS THE TELECAST OF THE TOWNSHIP OF UNION’S ANNUEL SOAPBOX DERBY. HE HAS BEEN THE EMCEE OF THE ANNUAL MAYOR’S DAY PROGRAM IN THE TOWNSHIP. ADDITIONALLY, TONY IS THE HOST OF “VINTAGE VIEWS,” THE UNION COUNTY CABLE TELEVISION PROGRAM DEVOTED TO SENIOR ISSUES.
TONY IS A PROUD PARISHIONER OF ST. GENEVIEVE’S CHURCH IN ELIZABETH, WHERE HE SERVES AS AN USHER AND EUCHARISTIC MINISTER. HE IS A LONG-TIME MEMBER OF THE KEAN UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, WHERE HE SERVED AS KEAN’S ALUMNI PRESIDENT FROM MID-2001 THROUGH MID-2005. TONY IS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE FRIENDLY SONS OF ST. PATRICK, ELIZABETH KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS COUNCIL 253, UNION ELKS LODGE 1583, THE JOSEPH NUGENT, SR. ASSOCIATION, THE UNION COUNTY EMERALD SOCIETY, AND THE IRISH AMERICAN SOCIETY OF UNION, WHICH HONORED HIM AND 2014 PARADE CHAIR KATHY NOONAN IN 2013.
TONY LOVES HIS SUMMERS, CRUSIING ON THE WATERS OF BARNEGAT BAY IN HIS BOAT AND SPENDING TIME AT HIS MARINA IN BRICK, NEW JERSEY, WHERE HE IS AFFECTIONATELY CALLED “THE MAYOR OF BAYWOOD MARINA.” HE ALSO ENJOYS SPENDING TIME ON LONG BEACH ISLAND WITH HIS BEST FRIEND, DONNA GIOVANNETTI. THE LONG-STANDING “VOICE” OF THE PARADE IS EXCITED ABOUTH THE 19TH ANNUAL PARADE AND ALSO IS HONORED TO HAVE BEEN UNANIMOUSLY ELECTED GENERAL CHAIRMAN BY THE PARADE COMMITTEE. “TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE A WONDERFUL TRADITION WHICH BEGAN WITH OUR FIRST GENERAL CHAIRMAN, SHERIFF JOE CRYAN IN 1997 AND CONTINUES IN 2015, IS ONE OF THE GREATEST HONORS OF MY LIFE. WORKING WITH ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF THE UNION COUNTY ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE COMMITTEE, WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO PUT ON ANOTHER FANTASTIC PARADE THAT EVERYONE WILL NOT ONLY THOROUGHLY ENJOY, BUT ALSO BE PROUD OF!”