Sun shines for Achill’s first St Patrick’s Parade

Sun shines for first Achill St Patrick’s Parade

Anton McNulty

THE sun shone on Achill over the weekend as the island celebrated its very first St Patrick’s Day Parade with hundreds of people lining the route.
The historic parade was the highlight of the Achill St Patrick’s Weekend Festival with up to 40 floats of all shapes and sizes making their way through Achill Sound on Sunday afternoon. Traditionally, St Patrick’s Day is celebrated on the island with dulcet tones of the various pipe bands but this year a committee was formed to form a parade for Achill Sound.
The parade started at the GAA pitch and was led by ‘St Patrick’ along with Parish Priest, Fr Michael Gormally, and local councillor Paul McNamara, who was dressed in a fetching green waistcoat and matching overcoat which would not look out of place on Fifth Avenue.
A host of local groups took part in the parade with the Achill Coastguard, the Achill Lifeboat and the Fire Brigade all out in force and dress for the occasion.

Pipe bands out in force
The island’s pipe bands were also in force with the Dooagh, Tonragee, Pollagh and Dookinella bands among those entertaining the crowd with tunes along with the Banna Ceoil SΡile school band.
A number of sporting organisations were also represented including Achill GAA Bord na n-Óg, Achill Ladies GAA, Achill Rovers, the Achill Boxing Club and Achill Wheelers Cycling Club. There were also a number of vintage cars on show as well as a number of restored tractors and old farm machinery.
Hundreds of people lined the streets of Achill Sound to match the parade in glorious sunshine which added to the atmosphere of the day. There were over 40 floats and other participants taking part in the parade which took over 30 minutes to pass through the village.
After the parade ended at the Fairgreen, the spectactors were treated to a concert of local musicians and dancers and prizes were given to the winning floats, Achill Wheelers and Curraun Sheep Dogs.
This morning, St Patrick’s Day the festivities get underway very early on Achill with the traditional 6am reveille, when the pipe bands from the various villages gather. They will then march and converge on Dookinella Church for approximately 1pm when they all play together outside the church.