Carlow town parade promises festive fun and entertainment
Bernard Jennings and John O’Sullivan as the Marx Brothers at last year's St Patrick's Day parade in Carlow town Photo: michaelorourkephotography.ie
THE SCENE is set for a great parade and an afternoon of festive celebrations in Carlow town on Lá Fheile Pádraig Bank Holiday Monday 17 March.
The family fun festival will kick off from 2pm in Dinn Rí car park, with the stage positioned beside the Liberty Tree fountain.
The parade will start at 3pm from the junction of Kennedy Avenue and Burrin Street and will continue along Kennedy Avenue before turning left onto Barrack Street at the bus park roundabout.
Following the success of the last two years, a special area along the parade route has been dedicated as the ‘sensory area’. This dedicated area on Lower Barrack Street, starting at the junction with Kennedy Avenue as far as Abracadabra, will provide a quiet space for spectators, where every effort will be made to keep noise levels to a minimum.
The parade will then proceed up Barrack Street to Shamrock Plaza, where it will turn left onto Tullow Street. It will continue to the end of Tullow Street and down Castle Hill before dispersing.
Representatives of local veteran units and scouts will be there in force and will lead out the colour party.
Lead band in the parade this year will be the Killeshin Pipe Band.
The review stand will be located beside the Liberty Tree fountain.
The stage positioned beside the Liberty Tree will act as the viewing stand for the parade and stage for post-parade entertainment, which will run until about 5.30pm.
Live music on the main stage will kick off again following the parade. Entertainment includes ballads from John Kelly of Róisín Dubh and The Best Lab along, with many more in The Exchange.
In addition to the parade, a huge family fun festival day will take place for the afternoon on Potato Market, which will be closed to traffic on the day. An enclosed area featuring a range of bouncy castles, carousels and food vendors will be available for everyone to enjoy. This year again, organisers are pleased to incorporate the Carlow Exchange in their festivities, where there will be food stalls and buskers, as well as free face painting for young and old throughout the afternoon.
There will be magic shows, Scats Bouncing Castles, carousel, rides and many more activities to keep the children entertained, with dancing from the Dargan dancers and performances from many parade participants. Parade-goers are also in for musical treats in The Exchange, with Jack O’Flaherty and MacRua gracing the stage.
Some of the stallholders from Carlow Farmers’ Market will be trading on-site for the entire afternoon, including stalls selling fruit, freshly-made crêpes, ice-cream, burgers, pizza and lots more. Whatever you crave on the day, there’ll be plenty on hand to satisfy the taste buds while soaking in the atmosphere and enjoying the free entertainment.
A great day of national celebration is in store throughout the day. The organising committee is delighted with responses so far from local businesses, clubs, schools, community groups and voluntary organisations that are eager to participate.
To request an entry form for the parade, please email st.patricksdaycarlow@gmail.com.
For safety reasons, maximum measurement allowed for floats is ten metres in length and four metres high and stewards in high-viz jackets must accompany them along the route. Extra volunteers will be most welcome and much appreciated.
Assembly will take place from 2pm at Pembroke, with the parade moving off at 3pm. Walking groups, Carlow Vintage and Classic Cars and bigger floats will take up position in Pembroke. To ensure the parade moves along freely and with no gaps, there will be no performances by participants at the review stand.
Carlow’s St Patrick’s Day parade committee would like to thank Arthurs’ SuperValu and Rath’s Store, Carlow for allowing them to fundraise at their premises in the coming weekends. The committee would also like to thank Carlow County Council for support and financial assistance, along with members of the local business community who have also given generously. These donations will contribute greatly towards the cost of funding the activities.
For further details, contact Ken on 085 8607754 or email st.patricksdaycarlow@gmail.com. Follow them on facebook.com/stpatricksdayparadecarlow/
