COEUR d'ALENE - Calling all Murphys and O'Briens.

The St. Patrick's Day parade has added a twist to this year's annual Irish procession - an open invitation to anyone with a heritage to the surname Murphy and O'Brien to jump in and march with.

Now, nearly everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day. But those with direct links should step in and walk behind the banner that will be named accordingly.

"They're more than welcome to come right in and join the parade under their banner," said Gay Gasson, events coordinator for the Coeur d'Alene Downtown Association. The banners will be marked, yep, O'Brien and Murphy.

The new component plays off the Irish 'Gathering,' which is an invitation throughout Ireland in 2013 for friends and family to come together during their celebrations.

The eighth annual parade will gallop westbound down Sherman Avenue at 4 p.m. Saturday.

How many people do they expect? The phone book has 100 different Murphy listings and 25 O'Brien listings.

"I do not have a clue," Gasson said.

The parade's theme is "Irish Hearts are Happy." While the family banner component is new, the traditional grand marshal, Irish Colleen and Irish Man of the Year will lead the afternoon parade.

Bill Reagan was named marshal, Marianne Buley the Colleen and Doug Kearns earned man of the year honors.

"I'm very excited about that," said Reagan, Coeur d'Alene native and Resort general manager, about being named marshal, which required him to get fitted for a kilt Tuesday. "I wear a kilt, then I get to lead a parade."

Kearns, a Costco employee whose grandfather immigrated from Ireland, said he's excited to lead the parade and Buley, half Irish herself, said she's proud to roll front and center in the parade that's a tribute to the country she hasn't visited ... yet.

"It's completely in my blood," said Buley, of fourth-generation Irish descent, now working for the social media company called iShoutOut/Shopadily Shop and Swap, and married to Press city editor Bill Buley. "I love everything Ireland."

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