Patron saint honoured in style on the shores of Lough Derg

STONE carving, traditional crafts and brush dancing formed a heady cocktail of entertainment to honour Ireland’s famous patron saint on the shores of Lough Derg last weekend.

Killaloe and Ballina turned into a sea of green as spectators and participants enjoyed one of the most colourful St Patrick’s Day parades in recent years.

Hundreds of people lined the streets and key vantage  points shortly after 2pm on Sunday in anticipation of the parade.

Not content with organising a parade, community activists provided a series of fun-filled family events with a twist.

A stone-carving workshop provided by Philip Quinn from Holycross generated a lot of interest, particularly a group of adults and children from Clontarf, Dublin, who were very interested in any of the local connections with Killaloe.

Working under the auspices of North Tipperary VEC, Mr Quinn has provided a number of different workshops in association with the Killaloe/Ballina Family Resource Centre.

Paul McNamara from Killaloe displayed his selection of green woodwork – a children’s chair and a high kitchen chair made from hazel, which he learned to carve at a previous workshop.

People who stopped off in the community café were pleasantly surprised to see the letter “V” cut into some Portroe slate, while some soft Portland limestone was used to carve a head and two horns like a small gargoyle.

Course participants revamped and refaced an old wall and stone along the banks of the river on the Ballina side near the new outdoor gym area by carving features.

Creativity was also encouraged by community artist, Nathalie El Baba, who helped make St Patrick’s Day shamrocks and badges with crepe and felt in another workshop held on Saturday.

This was part of the local committee’s drive to promote arts and crafts in the build-up to the 2014 major Brian Boru 1,000 commemoration celebrations.

Paul Smyth and his daughter, Laura, gave their first official performance as a duet in the community café much to the delight of all.

Brush dancing featured during one of the 38 St Patrick’s Day parade entries as young dancers who hone their skills at the Anchor Inn on a Wednesday night stepped it out on an open topped trailer.

Brian Boru, The Gathering and topical issues were the main themes illustrated during the parade.

The slight drizzle that came down midway through the parade didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of onlookers of children, who dashed to collect treats thrown from some of the vehicles.

Scouts from Ballina, Killaloe, Bridgetown and Clonlara joined Smith O’Brien’s underage stars, while the GAA club promoted its proposed clubhouse development.

Men in navy suits and young girls in dancing costumes from The Powder Rooms, Ballina, had to keep active with their disco to shrug off the biting wind on the top of an articulated truck.

McKeogh’s Hardware scooped the best overall float for their innovative creation of a Viking ship, while one of their employees, Eddie O’Gorman, who dressed up as a giant Smiley Face won the best topical entry for Lawn ’n Order.

The portrayal of the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz helped ML’s Hair Studio capture the best comical float.

The best club float went to Killaloe Scout Troop; best business float: Mike’s Mowers; merit award: Kincora Kids and best dressed window: Amore Mio.

Some 38 entries in the parade made it the best-supported parade to date. Led by the local Fire Service, hundreds of participants filed past the reviewing stand where special guests – Fr James Grace, Fr Enda Brady, Garda Inspector John O’Sullivan, Deputy Timmy Dooley, Deputy Michael McNamara, Councillor Phyll Bugler, Councillor Joe Cooney, Councillor Michael Begley, Councillor Cathal Crowe and Sadie Scanlan viewed proceedings.

Musicians Paul Smyth, Michael Hackett and Denise Kennedy performed on the reviewing stand before and after the parade, while the Killaloe-Ballina Community Orchestra were in action at Flanagan’s Marquee after the parade.

Master of ceremonies and chairperson of the parade committee, John Grimes, acknowledged everyone who supported the event either as participants or spectators.