Castleisland Bracing Itself for a Great St. Patrick’s Day Parade

St. Patrick's Day Bunting Sunday morning 13-3-2016 — Before breakfast on Sunday morning and this patriotic crew has three quarters of the town decorated with bunting for Thursday’s greatly anticipated St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Included are from left: Pat Hartnett, Brian O’Sullivan, Peter Browne, Charlie Farrelly, Ted Kenny and Martin Conway. ©Photograph: John Reidy

The boys of the old St. Patrick’s Day brigade were out early on Sunday morning preparing the way for the annual parade. Bolstered this year by a couple of new faces from the Castleisland Chamber Alliance, the hardy annuals had three-quarters of the town decorated by 9am and were going well.
Armed with some new, street straddling bunting, Charlie Farrelly and his gang were blessed with a dry if cold morning for their annual preparations.

Best in the Country
The Castleisland parade is, undoubtedly, one of the finest and probably the best per capita turnout in the country on the great day.
The fine weather, which we’re now nearly sure of, will be a huge bonus to the events of the day and to the people who go to the trouble of providing the platform for so many to mark and enjoy the occasion.

A typical St. Patrick's Day Parade turnout on one of the greatest days of the year in Castleisland as this scene from the 2009 parade clearly shows. ©Photograph: John Reidy 17-3-2009 — A typical St. Patrick’s Day Parade turnout on one of the greatest days of the year in Castleisland as this scene from the 2009 parade clearly shows. ©Photograph: John Reidy 17-3-2009

Charlie Farrelly and John Skevena O’Sullivan have built a little army of St. Patrick’s Day carers around them over the best part of the past two decades. They took the baton from the late Michael O’Callaghan and he from Helen Leane – who organised the first ever parade in Castleisland in 1988.
Now the Castleisland Chamber Alliance under Patricia Walsh is entering the picture with its contribution to this event and into the future.

Exhibitionists and Innocent Bystanders
Charlie Farrelly made an appeal on Monday for every exhibitionist and innocent bystander from hill and valley to get into Castleisland early on St. Patrick’s Day on Thursday.
The action begins after mass with a band on Main Street from 12 noon. Floats and marchers will gather on Tralee Road around McElligott’s from 12-30pm onwards for the 1pm start.

And !!!!! There’s a Primary Schools’ Disco at the River Island Hotel after the parade from 2-15pm to 3-30pm and it will be supervised.
The Cullen Pipe Band will lead the parade this year and that in itself will add an extra edge to one of the greatest days in the round of the year in Castleisland.
In spite of the sunshine it is still March – wrap up and enjoy the day and the spectacle it always manages to provide. Happy St. Patrick’s Day.