Jenn Murphy-Oelkers
Sheila Halligan
By Dan Murphy
The 69th Annual Yonkers St. Patrick’s Day Parade on McLean Avenue will take place on March 21. The parade steps off at 1:00 PM, following Mass at 11:15 AM at the St. Barnabas High School Chapel.
This year’s Grand Marshal is Yonkers Fire Commissioner William Fitzpatrick. We highlighted Fitzpatrick in a prior story-link –
We hope to highlight the 8 aides to the Grand Marshal before the parade. This week we feature Jennifer Murphy-Oelkers and Sheila Halligan.
Our 4th aide to the Grand Marshall William Fitzpatrick is
Jennifer Murphy Oelkers
Jennifer Murphy Oelkers is a lifelong Yonkers resident with deep roots in the Yonkers Irish American community. Most of her great-grandparents either came to Yonkers from Ireland or were born here to their Irish immigrant parents, drawn by the prospect of work in the Alexander Smith carpet factories, the lighting and gas company, and other Yonkers industries. They came from Counties Waterford, Galway, and Wexford, and went on to become active members of Yonkers Catholic parishes and organizations, including Sacred Heart, St. Mary’s, and St. Paul the Apostle, and of the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
Jen is the proud first daughter of Judge J. Emmett and Deborah Brill Murphy. She has a brother John Emmett Murphy III and sister Katie Murphy Dedde. Her father, Emmett has held several elected positions, including Chief Judge of Yonkers City Court and Supreme Court Justice of the 9th Judicial District. He was also Grand Marshal of the Yonkers St. Patrick’s Parade in 2005.
Jen attended Sacred Heart Grade School and Good Counsel Academy in White Plains. As a child, she also received an education, observing and helping with the election campaigns that were going on around her.
After successfully managing her father’s final campaign, she was asked to run several other judicial campaigns, kicking off a career as a successful campaign manager and consultant in Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess and Orange Counties. She has since managed or advised on dozens of campaigns over the last nearly 20 years, including races for Supreme Court Justices, City Court Judges, and the Westchester County District Attorney.
She is active in her community, particularly the Yonkers football community, both youth and high school.
Jen is proudest of her family: her five children Lucy, Atticus, Noah, Eamon and Alice, and her husband, Yonkers Police Officer Chris Oelkers. They are parishioners of Sacred Heart Church in Yonkers.
Our 2nd aide to the Grand Marshall William Fitzpatrick is
Sheila M. Halligan
Sheila M. Halligan is the oldest daughter of Patricia and James Halligan. A dual citizen of Ireland and the US, her paternal grandparents emigrated from County Mayo and her maternal great-grandparents from Kilkenny and Carlow. She spent her first 10 years in Yonkers, attending St. Joseph’s School in Bronxville, with her sister Colleen. Sheila is a parishioner of St. Joseph’s. Most Sunday afternoons, she keeps her father’s love of Irish music alive, by tuning into Ceol na nGael on WFUV.
At The Ursuline School, Sheila was a member of the Gaelic Society, and at SUNY Geneseo, studying Elementary Education, she joined the Irish Student Union and Royal Lady Knights, a social-service organization. A semester at St. Patrick’s College in Drumcondra, Dublin, sparked a passion for traveling and experiencing local cultures.
While earning a Master’s in Literacy from The College of New Rochelle, Sheila followed her grandmother’s and parents’ footsteps to teach in the Bronx with the NYC Dept. of Education. She is in her 20th year at Yonkers Public Schools, after teaching in Mount Vernon, North Rockland, as well as England and Italy. She earned a second Master’s in School Leadership from The College of Saint Rose and a Gifted Learning Certificate from CUNY Hunter. She is currently a Reading Teacher at PEARLS Hawthorne, a 2023 National Blue Ribbon School.
A lifeguard for over 30 years, Sheila is Pool Director at Larchmont Yacht Club. Each July, she participates in an open water swim in Long Island Sound with Swim Across America, raising money for cancer research in the NYC area. This summer, she has a new role with SAA-LIS, coordinating pool swims, for those who wish to join the fundraising in the comfort of a pool.
Sheila enjoys skiing and swimming in new places, and plans visit all 50 states, with only 6 to go. At the Davenport Club, she is learning pickleball, and relaxes on the beach. She enjoys sharing a good laugh with good friends.
In 2011, Sheila joined the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, Our Lady of Knock, Division 19, Yonkers. She has enjoyed the camaraderie of her sisters and currently serves as Secretary. Sheila is beyond proud to represent her sisters as an Aide to the 2026 Grand Marshal on McLean Ave
