THERE has been annoyance voiced at the level of public spending on the St Patrick’s Day parade in Ennis, compared to the level spent on other parades in Clare.
Clare County Council informed The Clare Champion that in 2024 it spent approximately €19,000 on the St Patrick’s Day Parade in Ennis, and it is expected that a similar amount will be spent this year.
In a statement it said that while it organises and supports the Ennis parade on an annual basis, it does provide some backing to other parades.
“The local authority provides supports to parades in the four municipal districts throughout the county through different practical supports and assistance. Some grant allocations and GMA from councillors are also provided,” said a spokesperson.
“For example: in the Shannon MD, in 2024 Clare County Council funded the Sixmilebridge (€750) and Shannon (€600) parades under its small community grant scheme. Parade teams and committees can also apply for funding under the CLAGS grant.
“Meanwhile, last year four members of the West Clare MD provided €2,800 in funding from their GMA allocations to parades in Doonbeg, Fanore and Kilrush.”
The council said it also offers the use of their cones, bollards and barriers and other practical assistance to parades across the county, subject to availability.
Shannon is the second biggest town in Clare and its parade is one of the local highlights of the year, attracting a large number of attendees and participants.
Niamh O’Callaghan is the chair of its organising committee and she said the disparity in support between the two parades is disgraceful and unacceptable.
Ms O’Callaghan said the insurance for the Shannon parade costs around €900, more than the level of support it received from the local authority.
She said that the contrast between the support for the event in Ennis and what happens throughout the rest of Clare is very jarring.
“Clare County Council have paid staff members who are organising the parade for Ennis, who are offering cash prizes for best floats,” she said.
“That’s only for Ennis Municipal District, and only for the town of Ennis in the Municipal District.
“In Shannon we have a handful of volunteers who do it for the love of it, it’s the same in every other town, in Tulla, in Crusheen, in Sixmilebridge everywhere.”
One simple measure it could take would be to take care of insurance for parades across Clare, rather than just in Ennis.
“Every single town and village has to get insurance for their parade. To get that we have to have written permission from Clare County Council to use the road,” she said.
“There’s a very small number of companies that do public liability insurance for things like that.
“Why can’t the Council at the very least indemnify any place that is having a parade? Why can’t they just do that? That’s one very small thing that could be done on a yearly basis.”
Ms O’Callaghan said that while organising a parade is very fulfilling, the lack of public funding for areas outside Ennis leads to a lot of headaches for those on committees, who have to go cap in hand to businesses, relying on their generosity, year after year after year.
“I love being a part of organising Shannon’s parade, it’s an honour for me to do it. But you have to go and ask people again and again for help, it’s the same companies, the same volunteers asking them,” she said. “We’re lucky enough to have partnered with the Town Centre who are giving us a band and a stage, but we do have the second biggest population in the county, and every year we have entries from neighbouring places, which is great.
“This year we will have a basketball skills thing, there are going to be workshops and demonstrations, we have a seanchaí coming in to tell stories, we’re having face painting, mascots and animators, and it all costs money.”
There are cash prizes totalling €1,250 on offer at the Ennis parade, with a top prize of €500.
Owen Ryan has been a journalist with the Clare Champion since 2007, having previously worked with a number of other publications in Limerick, Cork and Galway. His first book will be published in December 2024.