Planning for Castleisland St. Patrick’s Day Parade at Advanced Stage

**Castleisland’s own St. Patrick, aka, the late Joe Martin getting ready for his annual role in the local parade on St. Patrick’s Day 2019.** **©Photograph: John Reidy**

Mary McDonagh and Jamesie Casey who brought home hard earned silver medals from European Boxing championships in the course of 2022. They are being honoured by the Castleisland St. Patrick’s Day Parade committee. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Castleisland’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade is going ahead as usual this year.

Proceedings will get under way in ‘The Mart Yard’ with gates open at 12 noon. All heavy machinery including floats are asked to come early – according to event spokesman Pat Hartnett.

This year the parade will leave the mart grounds at 1.30pm led by the Cullen Pipe Band.

St. Patrick from Father to Son

Des Martin will take on the role of St. Patrick – a role previously filled by his late father Joe Martin since the first St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Castleisland in 1989.

Chief marshals will be Sliabh Luachra Boxing Club members and 2022 European silver medalists Jamesie Casey and Mary Mc Donagh who won their medals in Turkey and Italy respectively.

Both entrance and exit points to and from the mart will be one way only.

Creamery Lane – One Way

Creamery Lane will be entrance only and the parade will exit the grounds at The Crageens across from the old Carnegie library at the top of the town.

It will the proceed down the town’s Main Street and around the Back-of-the-Forge and onto Tralee Road and back up Main Street and right again at the old library and down to the mart yard.

All traffic will then exit by Creamery Lane. Every stage of the parade will be well coordinated and marshaled along the route.

Up Scart – Up in Smoke

The very popular Scart band Up In Smoke will entertain the crowd on the stand at Main Street.

On March 9^th a public meeting will be held with local Gardai and all publicans are asked to attend at 7 pm in the River Island Hotel.

“Anyone wishing to get involved or helping out with the running of the event can also come along and, as the costs are high to run this event, donations would be gratefully accepted,” said Mr. Hartnett.

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