Cllr. Hughie McGrath pictured with St. Patrick!

St. Patrick's Day Parades to take place in Nenagh and Roscrea

Published: Thu 28 Jan 2016, 10:18 AM

Last updated: Thu 28 Jan 2016, 10:22 AM

There will be a St. Patrick's Day parade in Nenagh again this year.

Cllr. Hughie McGrath (Ind), chairman of the local parade committee, confirmed the March 17^th event at last week's meeting of Nenagh Municipal District Council. He said this year's parade would start at 2pm and follow the same route as previous years. Entries are now being invited, and Cllr. McGrath said the organisers would particularly welcome ideas with a 1916 Rising theme.

Cllr. John Carroll (FF) hoped the vintage side of this year's parade would be enhanced as opposed to placing too much emphasis on commercial entries.

Schools, sporting, artistic, social and business groups are invited to take part in the parade, with entry forms now available on the council's website. The committee is also appealing for volunteers to help with the event.

Preparations for a St.Patrick's Day Parade in Roscrea will be discussed next Tuesday, February 2^nd

The Roscrea Communiity Development Council (RCDC) are hosting a public meeting in the Abbey Hall to solicit ideas that might invigorate the town's parade and street festivities.

This year will mark Roscrea's 38^th successive parade. Chairman Steve Crofton is joined again this year by Mary Heffernan, Secretary, Treasurer and Joint PRO; Jon Lupton, and Mike Edwards, Joint PRO, with committee members Brendan Keeshan, Sean Delaney, Marie Tooher, Shane Lee, Councillor Michael Smith, Michael Hogan and Sean Hogan. The committee would very much welcome people's ideas, support and involvement on the committee.

Roscrea's parade is very much a community event, started by Roscrea Junior Chamber back in 1979 and organised every year since with the support of the community. Thus people from the town of Roscrea and its surrounds are asked to come to Tuesday night's meeting to primarily put forward their ideas. While the committee would very much welcome new members, it assures people that it will not put pressure on anyone in that regard and that the primary reason for Tuesday night's meeting is for an input of new ideas to invigorate the parade.