Brotherhood Across the Atlantic Brings Mount Kisco Firefighters to Dublin
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Some friendships are built through years of shared experiences, while others form in the most unexpected of places – like a Dublin pub on the eve of a rock concert.
For the third year in a row, Mount Kisco firefighters have enjoyed the honor of marching with the Dublin Fire Brigade in the city’s Saint Patrick’s Day parade, a tradition that began by chance but has grown into a lasting bond between two firefighting communities.
It all started just more than three years ago when local resident Mike Curtis and a close friend from Ireland decided to visit the family farm after COVID restrictions were lifted. They invited fellow firefighter Jim Johnston to join them for the trip, and on a Saturday night in Dublin, the group set out early to meet an old friend before a concert. They gathered at a pub where, for years, a patch from the Mutual Engine & Hose Company in Mount Kisco had been proudly displayed. But that night, the patch was missing.
Determined to track it down, Curtis ventured into a back room – and instead stumbled upon a new connection. There, he met members of the Dublin Fire Brigade. Wearing a Mutual Engine & Hose sweatshirt, he struck up a conversation, and within hours, firefighters from opposite sides of the Atlantic were sharing stories, raising glasses, and extending invitations. By the end of the night, the Mount Kisco crew had been invited to march in the city’s grand Saint Patrick’s Day parade.
“It’s been brilliant,” reflected Curtis, who, along with Johnston and Johnston’s son Michael – a Scarsdale career firefighter – has continued the tradition each year since.
The Dublin Fire Brigade has welcomed them with open arms, creating camaraderie that transcends borders and firehouse walls. And while some of their best stories “probably shouldn’t be shared,” Curtis jokes, one thing is clear: the bond is real, and the tradition will seemingly endure.
Call it the luck of the Irish – or just a bit of fortuitous serendipity – but the chance encounter has turned into something much greater.
Now, the local firefighters are working on bringing their Dublin counterparts to their hometown.
Concluded Curtis: “Trying to figure out how we get them to Mount Kisco, but we’re working on it.”
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.