Joan O’Halloran is a vital part of the Detroit area Irish community. She is honored to be elected as the 2025 Grand Marshal of the St. Patrick’s Parade.
Joan Rose Kavanaugh O’Halloran grew up in Mt. Pleasant, MI, and moved to suburban Detroit in the early 1960s with her first husband, the late Kenneth Kavanaugh. They have three children: Karen, Gary (Therese), and Scott (Bridget). Joan is the proud grandmother of five beautiful women: Katie, Erin (Spencer), Megan, Elizabeth, and Anna.
Joan and Tom O’Halloran owned and operated the Tipperary Pub in Detroit for many years. They hosted events for the Irish community in addition to promoting Irish culture through music. Many bands got their start right here in Detroit at the Tipp.
Joan has helped plan and host numerous events including the Children for Northern Ireland Project, the 50th St. Patrick’s Parade dinner dance, the annual Pallottine dinner dance, the UIS fundraisers, and the annual Motor City Irish Fest to name a few.
Joan is a member of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, the Gaelic League/Irish American Club of Detroit, the LAOH Rose Kennedy Division, and President of the Irish Bar Owners Association. To honor her passion and commitment to all things Irish, she was recognized as the 2013 Hibernian Woman of the Year, the 2014 Pallottine Woman of the Year, and the 2023 Chairperson of the Motor City Irish Fest.
In 2022, Joan’s beloved husband Tom passed but she continues to keep him close by honoring his request that she “never let the music die”.