Tag Archives: St Patrick’s Day

ST PATRICK’S Day festivities will go virtual this year in Kilrush, with the community determined to look ahead to brighter days, while celebrating the local parades tradition that is so dear to local hearts. A 12-strong committee involving business and community leaders has been working hard to ensure people still have the chance to celebrate, despite the Level 5 lockdown restrictions. Taking the theme of ‘Sending Grá’ to family and friends who are away from home on March 17, the virtual celebration aims to engage people of all ages. The streets and shops have been decorated in the town and organisers are inviting people of all ages to submit entries to art and photography competitions and to send in photos of vintage vehicles that would normally be getting polished and ready to take to the streets for the parade. There’s also a Jerusalema Challenge for family bubbles and socially-distanced groups. “The Kilrush St Patrick’s Day Parade has always been a …

CLARE people at home and abroad are invited to come together virtually to celebrate St Patrick’s Day 2021 online. This year, Clare County Council is organising and presenting an online St Patrick’s Day event with the theme of ‘Connecting Clare’, and everyone can get involved. The Council is inviting Clare people at home and abroad to celebrate St Patrick’s Day together, by actively participating in the online event or by joining in on the day as a member of our global audience. “The event is a wonderful opportunity for Clare people to showcase their talents across the globe. To participate, we are requesting that you record an individual or group performance and submit it to us online (please see details below). You might like to get members of your group to log on to Zoom and record all the individuals performing together as a group online. We are looking for variety so music, song, poetry, dance, backyard parade – the choice …

CLARE County Council is inviting people at home and abroad to come together virtually to celebrate St Patrick’s Day 2021 online. Given the limitations presented by current government guidelines, this year, the council are organising and presenting an online St Patrick’s Day event with the theme of ‘Connecting Clare’, and everyone can get involved. To participate, Clare County Council are requesting people record an individual or group performance and submit it online. A spokesperson for the council said, “We are looking for variety, so music, song, poetry, dance, backyard parade – the choice is yours. Please embrace the theme, ‘Connecting Clare’, in your performances.” A judging panel selected by Ennis Municipal District will review all entries and, on St Patrick’s Day a series of short videos will be released every hour between 11am and 5pm. There will be prizes for winners in the following categories: Best interpretation of theme (€300) Best children’s performance (€300) Most imaginative entry (€300). Winners in …

THERE was huge relief on Monday last (March 23) for a group of Clare musicians who braved major travel disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic to make their way back to Shannon Airport from South America. The nerve-wracking journey of Los Paddys took them more than 11,000 kilometres from Chile, and was fraught with uncertainty because of the international travel chaos. With vast sections of international airspace shut down and ongoing severe flight disruption, the six Clare members of the outfit came close to finding themselves stranded on the other side of the world. The musicians had been on a tour of Chile and Argentina for St Patrick’s Day, and when their original travel plans were thrown into disarray, they had to fundraise online to make alternative arrangements. Paddy Mulcahy, Head Programmer for Los Paddys, told The Champion the response, which raised more than €7,000, had been incredible and essential in getting them home. “Our outward journey and the end …

CLARE County Council has confirmed that the Ennis St Patrick’s Day parade has been cancelled due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Other Clare parades that have been confirmed as cancelled include Ennistymon, Fanore, Kilfenora and Kilkee. In relation to the Ennis parade, Clare County Council said that a risk assessment, based on Health Service Executive guidelines, was carried out which concluded that based on the demographic of those attending the parade, the close proximity of people attending the event and the duration of the event (among other considerations), Clare County Council is not in a position to provide the necessary assurances in relation to current HSE Guidelines.  

Green is the colour throughout County Clare this weekend, as we celebrate the feast day of our patron saint, St Patrick. A festival atmosphere is evident in  town and village, with parades showcasing our traditions, culture and music, as well as everyday life in farming, business and industry.  Of course, no parade would be complete without colourful characters representing local, national and even international figures. The county’s main parade in Ennis attracted a huge crowd, which stretched all along the route from Áras Contae an Chláir on New Road to O’Connell Street.  Mayor of Ennis Paul Murphy and grand marshall John Burke, the Everest climb hero, led the parade in a horse drawn carriage.

Members of the Clare Association in Dublin will break new ground this weekend, when, for the first time in the long history of the association, they will be participating in the St Patrick’s Day parade in Ennis on Saturday. They will carry their own banner and will  travel in a  vintage Mercedes car, placed at their disposal by Pat Foudy Tyre Sales, Ennis. The grand marshal for the parade, which will start at New Road at 11am, will be Spanish Point hotelier John Burke, who has been selected by the Clare Association as their Clare Person of the Year for 2018. They recognised his achievement of being the first Clare man to climb Mount Everest and his efforts to provide and promote mental health wellness programmes for young people through his charity, Elevate. He will be presented with his award at the association’s annual dinner dance on April 28 in Dublin. This weekend will be busy for the Clare Association in Dublin. On this …

John Burke, mountaineer and founder of the charity Elevate, has been named Grand Marshal of this year’s Ennis St Patrick’s Day parade. Mayor of Ennis Councillor Paul Murphy today said that John is receiving the honour in recognition of his efforts to bring wellness programmes to young people in Clare, as well as his achievement of becoming the first Clare person to summit Mount Everest in 2017. John will join Mayor Murphy in leading the parade in a horse-drawn carriage, which will be followed by approximately 50 groups representing the many aspects of life in Ennis and County Clare. Mayor Murphy commented, “During my term as Mayor, I have committed to promoting positive mental health initiatives and individuals and groups who are working in the area. John through his own remarkable personal achievements and through Elevate is playing a key part in ensuring that the most vulnerable in society are protected and supported. That is why I am delighted he …