St Patrick’s Day Parades County Round Up

0:00We're going to bring you all the action from St. Patrick's Day Parades coming up around the county will have no less than seven coming to you. We're going to Kelrush first. We're going to Miriamy Cohen-Linch and to Chris Dixon. You're both very welcome to the program. Oh, thanks, darling. Thank you for having us on. Not at all. So Kelrush sounds pretty exciting this year. The team is legends. Miriam, I'm going to put you on the spot and get me to get you rather to talk. Miriamy and the listeners through that. Okay, so we're back on our traditional slot of Tuesday the 17th at 3pm. And as you say, our team this year is legends. So as well as giving 20 scope for imagination and creativity. It's also allowing us to commemorate a great and very fondly remembered period of Kerrush social history and in particular our great local club, Kerrush Shamrock.

1:03And this is something that Chris has been doing a lot of research on recently. So Chris's book and the parade team have really dealt with it nicely. You know, so no, so a great time that Chris has researched and I think people are very excited about those that, you know, witnessed the times and also we're getting great support for the club themselves who will be out in force, you know, enjoying and celebrating the occasion. Absolutely. And Chris, I'm going to get you to talk me through some of that because you've done the research into this and just doing some research in this story, 50 years since Kerrush Shamrock's enjoyed the most illustrious era in the club's history, winning five senior football championships in a row. That's a feat that's scarcely achieved. So regardless of this being Sympathrics weekend or not, there are some celebrations down on Westclair.

2:04Yes, they are absolutely. And as he says, yeah, so last year would have marked 50 years since the 1975 senior championship final and that was Kerrush's first championship in about 12 years during that era and they would have lost three championships over those 12 years. So there's a lot of heart, a lot of hunger. So in 1975, when they did win, there was a lot of relief, a lot of excitement, but little did they know I suppose that it was going to be the first of five in a row from 75 to 79. And I saw lots of that with spearheaded by the great Raymond Clancy, known to many as the greatest Shamrock and also by the captains of that team. And those captains will be the grand marshals for the parade on St. Patrick's Day in Kerrush and they include in the 1975 Brian Riley, who has sadly passed away since, who'll be represented by his brother Michael, who is also a key figure in that team, but also by the 76 captain, Sheamus O'Darty in 77, Shawnee Maloney, 78, Liam McNamara, 79, Johnny Hullin, and not only did it win five in a row, but that team now as you stuck together, competed again in 1980, lost out to Camel, developing winners, but came back

3:08in one in 1981 and Michael used this was captain of that team and he'd also be a grand marshal and the parade. And I suppose one of the reasons why this topic and the team of legend and the topic of five in a row has got so much buy-in from the local businesses who are doing a great job with their sharpened displays and interest in local communities because back in the 70s, everyone was involved in this success, the supporters, many people behind the scenes, the streets would have had competitions with each other about who had the more screen and life during the finals and once the team won the finals straight back to Kyrush, still in their jerseys, their shorts, their socks, football boots even and they parade through the town with hundreds of supporters young and old. So it's kind of fitting that on 10 Patrick's Day they'll get reenacted so such and it's grace to highlight Kyrush's proud sporting heritage and which continues up to this day and it really makes something that was an interesting story and that's why I've wrote a book about it which we published during the summer with all proceeds going to the underage club and with credit to the organizing committee in Kyrush and the same Patrick they

4:12parade for being so creative with this theme and I think everyone that attends would have a great day on 10 Patrick's Day and they'll bring about great memories of touching the illustrious period in Kyrush's history. That's for sure and it looks like a mighty itinerary in store as well, my thanks to Chris for that. Deirdre Doth is on the line with us also Deirdre you're taking charge of the Tola parade this year could you tell us a little bit about what's in store? Yes, good morning Deirdre. So in Tola our parade is traditionally it tells on 10 Patrick's Day it starts about four o'clock it's led by our own pipe band we're very lucky and Tola to have our own pipe band they are actually celebrated 90 years this year so they've gone a long time and I think they've led every 10 Patrick's Day parade except maybe the year they went off to New York and the years during COVID so we didn't have parades so we're very lucky there. As for the same Patrick's Day kicks off in Tola very early in the morning we have a 11 o'clock mass and the pipe band play at the mass and they accompany the choir and then after

5:15the mass they march off down the street, hop on both of us and head off to do all the good parades and then at the end of the day they come back to Tola and they lead their own parades up to the village. So our parade this year will start at St. McCullough's primary school just after four o'clock and it will walk up through the town up past the library and down the hill again. We are taking entries from walkers through vintage tractors cars. Our team this year is folklore and fantasy. I know some of the groups are really embraced and our Tola drama are doing some sorts of an entry around the legends of the savage pigs of Tola. I know there's a young man in vacation who's restored in 1937 rally bike belonging to a woman in the road for hills and he pans to participate in the parade in the bicycle. You can enter on the day, there's no fee for the entry on the day just turn up the school as well as quarkes for and register during the walk and group or your soldier or your vintage and we hope to see as many people as possible turn up.

6:20There's also face painting in the primary school beforehand, if anybody hasn't finished a costume and wants a little extra touch-ups to have them on the day. But it should be a good parade. It will always get a great support from Tola and the people around so it's there. Yeah absolutely. It's a parade. So my turnery sounds like there's mighty crack in store. Dear Drudolph, the chairperson of the Tola parade committee. Thank you very much. Now we go a little bit down the road to Clication where Jim Roney from the Clication Development Association is underlying with us. Jim, you're going a little bit earlier for the St. Patrick's Day festivities this year, you're kicking things off in Clication on Sunday the 15th of March. That's it, yeah. Sunday, we did it last year as well. So we're kicking off on Sunday at half 11th from the GAA Club. So everybody will be gathering there at about 11 o'clock and we're going to leave. They're going to be led by a piper here in Macature. He's a West Claremann, very experienced piper. So he's going to head us off down the Main Street of Clication all the way down.

7:24And we're going to finish up below at the Forge. So you know who we're going to have. We're going to have all the underage clubs, the handball, the soccer, the hurling, the Kamogi. We're going to have the national schools have a fabulous floor there, which is really last couple of years. They're still in the show. They have a traditional music and singing group on the back of the trailer there. I think driven the last couple years by David Anland and as I said, they're up front and center. And yeah, after that, we'll have anybody and anyone who wants to join to make up the numbers. You know, we'll have another fabulous floor at their last couple years of Mr. Master, but the Clication Gun Club have a fabulous entry. So usually they keep us under wraps. So we're hoping they're back this year. And yeah, we'll have the usual trucks, trailers, tractors and anybody else will actually have that. That sounds like your last call. There are until that 19 parties. Bicycle will be will be in Clication Kahlohegan is a Clication man. So he'll be he'll be putting his entry in as well. And anybody else who wants to come along.

8:27You know, it's one of those things that, you know, you put the preparation to the time and when you get to the end of us, you know, you look around, you see the kids face and you realize that, you know, it's all about them and they love us and they get to stop traffic in Clication for the one day of the year. Actually, it's probably the safest day of the year because it's the one day we get to take traffic coming into our own control that day. We've been failing to do it for 10 years. So at least on that day, we'll have a safe one hour in the village. And memories that that that was last last lifetime too. And you you always knock a bit of crack out of good floats too. Absolutely. Yeah, you don't realize you don't even know what's coming until days people are working way down the background. They haven't cracked the show up. And, you know, even individuals, everybody's welcome. So look at it's a great day. And, you know, you're kind of praying for a dry day. That's probably the, you know, your biggest hope for the day. But even at that, nobody's spirits gets dampened or they probably will live at rains. But no, look, it's always well worth doing. And it's a great day. And once you do it, we've only brought it back about three years ago. We hadn't

9:27done it for about 30 odd years. And a couple of us got together about three years ago and realized it's well worth doing. And, yeah, as I said, it's a happy day for everybody. And it's great. It's great for the village. But here's hope and the rain will take a day off. Sunday morning, Jim Moroni from the Clication Development Association, outlining the details of the Clication St. Patrick's Day parade there. Jim, thank you very much. This feels a little bit like the Eurovision results. We now crash over to the Kila-Lew jury for their results. Arlene White, the old Kila-Lew Ballon average is reopening this year for your parade. Very exciting. It is indeed. Yeah, we've been running the parade for a number of years. But this year is kind of like a, we're starting all over again because we're not 100% sure what to expect with the pedestrian bridge. You know, we've always had a lot of traffic as both to deal with in the towns over the years. And we've had the support of the Guardian always who are brilliant. But this year, yeah, no traffic to deal with. So we're hoping we'll have a huge amount

10:28of spectators and people coming into the town for the day to watch the parade as it goes from Ballon A across the bridge and across the county into Kila-Lew in County Claire. Super. It's always good to finish in a better place than when you started, Arlene, would you agree? Well, I'd have to say kind of mutual on that now I'm afraid. I was born in Ballon A, so I can say anything. Well, I tried my best. Yeah, you tried to get in there. Yeah, I assured it. And I'll make no apologies for it. Arlene, what are some of the best, I suppose, attractions or events we can look forward to as part of this parade? Why would your highlights be now? What would you be recommended to people? Well, we like the, the previous caller said a lot of them keep it under wraps, a lot of the floats, creep it under wraps until the day. So we never kind of, we never really know what to expect. But so far we have 15 floats registered. And what we do is rather than having a team, we give prizes in a number of categories. So we'd have things like the best business,

11:32the best community group or voluntary club, and the best overall float. And we then have the most colorful float and most environmentally aware or, you know, creating awareness about climate action. And we also present a float for our prize for the best dress window along the parade route. So we always have lots of color and color along the streets, you know, for the celebrations. We have, I suppose, what we have confirmed is our piper. We'll be leading the parade. We have St. Patrick. We have our drummers. They will always take off a group of local drummers, take off a head just to let people know it's coming. And we have, I heard last night, I sure got confirmation last night that we have 10 Viking reenactors taking part in the parade as well, as well as all the other floats that will be taking part. And that's a mix of local businesses and groups, GA groups and fishing clubs and, you know, that kind of thing. So yeah, quite exciting every year and to see what's coming. And there's always very good representation

12:35there as well. And that sounds fantastic. And as long as that Viking reenactment doesn't get too realistic, we should be in safe hands. Well, we hope not. We hope not. We'll try and keep from coming. That's brilliant. Arlene White, the organizer of the Killeleau Ballinat parade, sounds like a fantastic occasion that will be in store. And that's kicking off at half to unchoose that the 17th of March St. Patrick's Day, which is brilliant as well, because there's a lot of a time gap between these different parades, which means that if you've been excited by the details of one or another, you'll probably get to see them both, which is fantastic. Arlene, thank you very much for joining us. Thanks very much, Darn. And we're about to take another big departure to the opposite side of the county. We're going to head to Killeleau and to John Saunders. John, tell us about the Killeleau Parade. Yes, Sarah. We'll be kicking off on Tuesday morning as 12th, 30 in Barric Street, which is up near the church. It'll then proceed down to the Killeleau Street, the square past the reviewing stand, down the Killeleau Street to the very end,

13:36and then it'll turn up the strife line, finishing off then back up in front of the viewing stand as it broke all the clock. It should be all over, but it wouldn't have an hour all going well, but we're looking forward to it. Nice, quick and snappy. I'm sure plenty of entertainment coming up as well, John. What kind of attraction can we meet? The day we're looking at ourselves and Kirosch, we don't have 12, but Kirosch does have three, so the same contestants will be more courageous grace. Well, that's absolutely super. So you're given the people of Westclair a good opportunity to see both and enjoy, I suppose, the creativity that the communities of Kirosch and Kiki have to offer and when you have both of them getting together, that's just a nice community day out. Well, it's been, it's historic, it's been nearly all the same, but most tractors in Westclair like to travel anywhere, so that we all move from here to Kirosch and back again. So yeah, it's always been the case over the years that

14:40contestants are more courageous with support both. Well, that's fantastic. John Saunders from the Kiki Parade, John, thank you very much for joining us. We're about to find out how to do things over in Scarif with Kate Smith. This is your 37th annual St. Patrick's Day Parade Kate. You're clocking up the numbers over in Eastclair. We are, we are, we are, Moandar, we are. Very well. So 37th one, but usually very big praise, we leave two grainy at three o'clock, and we head towards Scarif up the hill of Scarif. We're very lucky this year to have the toilet pipe band again. There's 90th year, so we're usually honored to have them this year. Again, our parade is usually led by our Grand Marshal, Brendan Walsh, and usually have these kids from the area that are kind of flag bears that would walk with him. If usually a really big parade, if you're fair, there's a great variety in us from kind of pub floor to club sports clubs and schools, and then we have tractor trailer vintage cars.

15:48It's a great day out. Absolutely, and really, to toilet pipe band are going to be very busy that weekend, aren't they? But isn't it, isn't it great to be able to have them? They make sure we leave one time anyway, because there's to be in toilet straight after all. So it is, it's absolutely fantastic to have like a pipe band going 90 years, you know, to lead our praise, it's absolutely fantastic. And it's nice to see your distaritan in Trumgranny as well, so you have that bit of cooperation, I suppose, from the bike side as well before before you knuckle them, so I would have each other under the year. It's again, yes. No, it is. It's fantastic, because clothes going from Trumgranny's car, it's like that we have like the community from like a gun and a low one. Judges, it kind of spreads out. It does a large catchment area, I suppose. And it's actually such a great day. And like for kids, even that might be able to walk this full length. So like if they're from Trumgranny, they have from walk the length of Trumgranny. You know, our kids are in Scarif, they walk up the Scarif hill.

16:50You know, so we'd, we'd love from people just joining, put on the green, we're, you know, wave the Irish flag. It's a great day. Absolutely. And we look forward to it, Kate Smith from the Scarif parade. Thank you very much, Kate, for joining us. And sorry, Derek, can I just say a big massive thank you to everyone who kindly donated to our church gate collection this weekend. We really, really appreciate it because like every other parade, we don't get funding. So we really rely on the community. And we massively appreciate it. That's super, Kate. Thank you very much. Excellent. Thanks for having us. Not at all. And now we'll go up to Northclare and to Johnny Richardson. Johnny and novel approach here, you're combining two hulles into one almost. You're getting a nice bit of Easter in there. And I think for the kids and participants, to turn up to this one, that'd be very glad that they did. Yes, we hope so, and we hope so. It's very much a child-friendly, well, family-friendly event as it is all around the country. So our parade starts just

17:51just to make sure we don't get the vital details. There are parade starts, it's on St. Patrick's Day, at three o'clock next Tuesday. And we have great participation, particularly from our younger members. They're involved with different clubs. We have fantastic tornadoes here from the local schools. Well, and all you do, fantastic group walk and group every year. So, yeah, we're, and for each of the children involved, they're all guaranteed in Easter, for those participating. So it's an incentive to participate, but we just watch each of them are guaranteed in Easter. They're catching cold, and we're looking after their lost child after the event. So, yes, it's very much a child-friendly and a family-friendly event. And you're doing well to keep the traditions of Clare, and particularly North Clare in the loop, as well, because you're having an ice pit of triad music at two o'clock, as well. We are, yes, it starts in the square at two o'clock, and we have the local church of

18:55the group. And again, we have, there's a great junior musician, Zolchitz, and Kalimester, his third-led team, is organising all their first, and they play every year. They're fantastic talents, and they'd be playing on the stage there in the square from two o'clock onwards, and Brendan Keane is our MC, as well, who heads us with the event, who's a musician, he says. So, we should have music there, going from two o'clock to three o'clock till, till after four. So, it's basically, it's all going to be done through music, typical fair styles, you know. That sounds like a super-days action in store altogether. And Johnny, as you reminded me, to remind everyone of the important details that kicks off a three o'clock sharep from Deer Park, rather, in Ennestiamen on St. Patrick's Day, Johnny Richards. And from the Ennestiamen parade, Johnny, thank you very much for coming on to Morning Focus today. There we heard all about no less than seven St. Patrick's Day parades taking place across

19:59County Fair. Some of them sat in on Friday, running up to Sunday, as well, we'll have all the details on more across our ClaireFan website later today, so you won't miss out