West Mayo town set for biggest St Patrick’s Day celebration in years

Westport is set to mark St Patrick’s Day in style this year, with organisers promising a return to the grand celebrations of years gone by, complete with floats, live music, a duck race, and a brand new Family Fun Zone for younger visitors.

Matt Molloy has been announced as Grand Marshal for this year’s parade, which takes place on St Patrick’s Day.

Aoife O’Neill, a committee member of the parade, says the ambition this year is to restore some of the occasion’s former glory.

“We just kind of wanted to bring the parade back to its lustre, back to the days of old where it was a big day for the town,” she said. “It wasn’t just a parade and then home, and people stayed around the parade — there was a bit more fanfare and a bit more going on.”

READ MORE: Mayo Gaeltacht vacant homes coordinator to reach out to owners of properties

Family Fun Zone
ONE of the big additions this year is a dedicated Family Fun Zone, which will run from 2pm to 5pm in the James Street car park, timed to coincide with the end of the parade. The zone will feature carnival rides, bouncy castles, carnival games, balloon making, face painting, roaming characters, live music, and a heritage section with traditional Irish crafts such as basket weaving.

"If the kids are happy, the parents are happy," O’Neill told The Mayo News.

Floats, colour and vibrancy
ORGANISERS are also offering a €500 cash incentive to encourage clubs, groups, committees and organisations to enter the parade with floats. O’Neill said they want to see “lots of colour and vibrancy” and are actively putting out a call for vintage cars to join the procession as well.

Motorised vehicles are welcome to take part in the parade if they’re pulling a float or a part of a float.

After the parade, musicians will perform outside the Town Hall. Ciara O’Malley and Lisa Loughnane are lined up to play, following a well-received appearance last year. Community groups will also give a free public performance inside the Town Hall at around 5pm.

Shop fronts are being encouraged to dress up and decorate for the occasion, with the winning display earning a three-week promotional feature in the Mayo News.

Duck Race Weekend
THE festivities kick off the Saturday before the parade with a Duck Race on the Mall River. Crowds are invited to gather at the Octagon at around 2.30pm, where the Clew Bay Pipe Band will assemble before leading the party down to the Mall to launch the race. Ducks cost €5 each and are available via QR code or in person at Westport Town Hall.

A Pipers’ Trail will follow the duck race, with the band making their way through the town and into local establishments. There will also buskers out in force.

Looking to the future, organisers hope to build on this year’s events and develop a full weekend festival with a packed schedule of events around St Patrick’s Day.