Parade tells a tale of suffering and joy

A RECORD number of floats made for an excellent St Patrick’s Day parade in the West Clare capital town. Organised by the local Chamber of Commerce, the Kilrush parade took over an hour to pass the reviewing stand where members of Kilrush Town Council, led by Deputy Mayor Paul Moroney and officers of Kilrush Chamber of Commerce and Kilrush Golf Club applauded the very high standard of floats on display. Mayor of Kilrush Mairéad O’Brien represented Kilrush in the US for St Patrick’s weekend.

Large crowds filled the Kilrush parade route and praised of the magnificent efforts. The twin themes of the Great Famine and the celebration of 50 years of radio and television were creatively represented by all the various community groups from all over West Clare. The adjudicators had a very difficult task before announcing the category winners.

In the business section, An Post took the honours, followed by Vandeleur Walled Gardens and Stella Maris, Kilkee. Highly commended was Landscape and Leisure, Ennis Road. Gaelscoil Uí Choimín won first prize in the schools’ section ahead of St Senan’s National School and Knockerra National School. Highly commended was the Gaelscoil Pre-School. In the parish and club category, Comhaltas took the honours from West Coast Rescue Service and the West Clare Cycling Club. In the open section, the immensely creative Crack’d Spoon, Kilkee won first prize from the McKeown family’s wonderful Wanderly Wagon and Kilrush Shamrocks’ GAA Club. The Kilkee Sub-Aqua Club was highly commended.

The overall shield winner was Crack’d Spoon, Kilkee, while Gaelscoil Uí Choimín won the overall cup award. Killimer, with Patrick O’Sullivan and Seán Browne, won the turf-footing competition from Cooraclare’s Breda Falsey and Mary Flanagan. Martin Crowe won the potato-peeling event. Parade organiser, Noel Ryan, acknowledged the help of all who had contributed to the parade in Kilrush.