Mountrath will be alive with Irish legends this St Patrick’s Day as Tir Na Og, the Irish Rugby team and even Mrs Brown are set to be honoured in this years parade.
The Mountrath Parade Committee are determined to make this years parade bigger and better then last year with the new addition of a mascot being chosen from each local primary school to represent their school in this years parade.
The parade will kick start from the Mountrath GAA field at 12.30pm and proceed down through the town to the delight of all the spectators.
Like other parades; success relies on a number of factors including fine weather, an enthusiastic crowd and more importantly an abundance of floats.
Celine Cribbs, a local business woman and a member of the Mountrath Parade Committee for over ten years, stated: “The parade is only as good as those who make the effort.
“It is so important that all local businesses and groups make the effort and enter a float into this years parade otherwise all our hard work goes to waste.”
The Parade in Mountrath has been a pivotal part of the St Patrick’s Day Celebrations in Mountrath since the early 1980s and its survival remains at the hands of its dedicated committee and strong support from local businesses and groups.
Celine Cribbs, who is acting Treasure for this years Parade, added: “We are contacting all local businesses and clubs asking them to get involved. Participation is really the key to making this years parade a success for everyone.”
Johnny Purcell, a publican from the town, has been acting MC for the St Patrick’s Day Parade since the early 1990s.
His witty and unique commentary is one of the main highlights for parade goers even now after some twenty years at the helm.
Although Johnny may be the face of the festival, he’s quick to recognise all those involved with organising the parade year in and year out.
He said: “There are so many who work quietly in the background, who help organise and run the parade every year there the ones you want to thank.”
The parade reached national acclaim when the prominent Irish Journalist Brenda Power, praised Mountrath for staying true to its heritage and remaining one of the last traditional parades among what has become the more common over-produced parades; retaining its spontaneity, inclusivity and more importantly its community spirit.
Her article described some of the more unusual floats featured in the parade one featuring a septic tank which Brenda described as being ‘some sort of big green mushroom’ and being of huge interest to the spectators.
Her recollection of the locals mingling through the crowd passing out hot sausage rolls and buns, remains at heart of the parade in Mountrath.
Brenda went as far as to say both she and her children enjoyed the parade immensely; as she felt it was more relevant to the day and to the community that any other parade she had been too.
This year’s parade promises to be bigger and better then last year; with Shannon Street being closed off for the duration of the day to allow for numerous kids activities and games to keep the little ones happy and as per tradition the main stage will be alive with entertainment provided by local musicians, local bands and local dancers.
Whether hail, rain or sunshine it promises to be a total legend of a day.
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