Lights, cameras and action this St Patrick’s Day

Ciara Galvin

TOWNS and villages will turn into a kaleidoscope of colour this weekend as communities come together to celebrate St Patrick’s Day.
Claremorris promises to host one of the most colourful parades with its theme ‘Harmony’. Street entertainment kicks off 1pm and will be performed by Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, with the official parade starting at 3pm. There will be children’s entertainers, real and digital fire performers, samba dancers and the 39 piece Ramelton Town Band from Donegal. 
This year Ballinrobe’s parade has gone back to the earlier time of 1.45pm. The theme of this year’s parade is ‘GrΡ Uisce – a celebration of our lakes and rivers’. There will be a best shop window competition and a shop window treasure hunt for children among other entertainment.
Crossmolina’s second annual St Patrick’s Festival of Lights takes place from March 16 to March 18. The highlight of the weekend, the Electric Light Parade with its spectacularly illuminated floats will take place at 7.30pm on Saturday, March 17.
The Ballina St Patrick’s Day Parade will take place on Sunday, March 18 from 4pm, followed by a fireworks extravaganza at the Salmon Weir Bridge from 7pm.
Organisers in Castlebar hope a huge crowd line out, with the parade starting at 1.30pm. The parade will start from McHale Road.
For the first time, highlights of this year’s St Patrick’s Day Parade will be recorded for a special programme for ‘The Irish at Home and Abroad’, broadcast on Sky channel 212 and Freesat 161.
Westport welcomes the Rodgers family of the Workhouse Studios, who brought the magic of street theatre to last year’s parade. The family have worked in celebratory and inclusive carnival and community arts for over 35 years. Parade action commences at the Sacred Heart School at 1.30pm.
The town will also have a flavour of traditional entertainment over the weekend including pop-up sessions in cafes. The Oldham Scottish Pipe Band will perform on the streets on Friday afternoon, while junior members of the Clew Bay Pipe band will do a pipe trail on Sunday lunchtime.

MORE See next week’s Mayo News for extensive St Patrick’s Day coverage.