St. Patrick’s Day Crowds Up There with the Best of Them

An enthusiastic Sarah Walsh from Kilmurry National School is prepared for the parade on St. Patrick’s Day in Castleisland. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Timmy Horan, Castleisland (left) pictured with fellow Irish ploughing champion, Thomas Beausang and his son Tommy from Clashmore, Waterford and Willie Leane, Castleisland at the start of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Castleisland. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Kilmurry National School pupils: Maeve O’Donoghue, Jill O’Mahony, Emily O’Donoghue and Cyanna Murphy on St. Patrick’s Day in Castleisland. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Camán weilding camogie players from Scoil Mhuire agus Naomh Treasa, Currow National School on the Castleisland St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Sunday afternoon. Ellie Kate Sheehy (left) is pictured with Marie Barry and Clodagh McMahon. ©Photograph: John Reidy

German exchange students, Fabian Walz (left) and Tilman Holzhausen had their first taste of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Castleisland on Sunday. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Parade announcer and organising group leader, Cllr. Charlie Farrelly about to call the start of the Castleisland event on St. Patrick’s Day. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Castleisland St. Patrick’s Day Parade Grand Marshall, John Lenihan with his wife Mary travelling in style as the parade gets underway on Sunday afternoon. ©Photograph: John Reidy

On the Currow National School Float were: Kelly Ryan, Cathal O’Connor and Eibhlín McCarthy on St. Patrick’s Day in Castleisland. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Helen and Patrick O’Sullivan, Scartaglen waiting for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade to start in Castleisland on Sunday. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Kadie Harney (left) with Noreen Keane, Knocknagoshel and Christina Moore, Currow on St. Patrick’s Day in Castleisland. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Former Castleisland Garda Pat Fleming in his role with the Cullen Pipe and Drum Band on St. Patrick’s Day in Castleisland. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Mauren and Teagan McCorry, Castleisland pictured on St. Patrick’s Day in Castleisland. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Voilet Feehan (left) with Denis and Christine Cronin at the Castle Meats street-side barbecue on St. Patrick’s Day in Castleisland. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Mrs. Mary Tangney pictured at the door of her Lower Main Street home with her grand-daughter Elaine and her husband Noel Crowley during Sunday’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Castleisland. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Harriet and Gerard Sheehan (left) pictured with Brendan and Liz Sullivan from Cloughduff, North Cork at the on St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Castleisland. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Three good friends: Dónal Egan, Donagh Walsh and Eamonn O’Donoghue from Kilmurry National School on St. Patrick’s Day in Castleisland. ©Photograph: John Reidy

On the Yellow Brick Road: Áine O’Sullivan and Maryann O’Shea with pet Sadie O’Shea as part of the Currow National School float on St. Patrick’s Day in Castleisland. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Martin and Vanessa O’Brien, Castleisland and Tralee with their children: Skyler, Martin Anthony and Bobby Lee at the Castleisland St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Sunday afternoon. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Tralee ladies, Nicola Treanor (left) and Cecilia Keane pictured on St. Patrick’s Day in Castleisland. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Former Castleisland publican John ‘Skevena’ O’Sullivan pictured on Creamery Lane on his way to the parade starting point in Castleisland on Sunday. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Watching the passing parade in Castleisland on Sunday were: Bridie Kerins, Scartaglen (left) with Juliet and James O’Regan, Camp Road. ©Photograph: John Reidy

It’s part of what it’s all about: Neighbours and friends, Catheriona O’Brien and Gillian Tarrant with Denis ‘Pele’ Barry celebrated at Tom McCarthy’s Central Bar on St. Patrick’s Day in Castleisland. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Scotland and Scart: Michael Hoggitt, South Ayrshire, Scotland (left) sampling St. Patrick’s Day celebrations at Kearney’s Bar in Castleisland with John Fitzgerald, Jim O’Connor, William O’Connor and Danny O’Connell. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Seven year old Siún O’Connor, Scartaglen sprouting from the skylight of the family car while watching the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Castleisland on Sunday afternoon. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Aoibheann Baker Crowe is all out on St. Patrick’s Day with her parents, Josephine and Brendan in Castleisland on Sunday. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Keeping the Patrick O’Keeffe Traditional Music Festival flag flying at the parade in Castleisland on Sunday were: Denis O’Connor, Conor O’Mahony, Tom O’Connell, Art O’Mahony, Gretta Curtin and Con Moynihan. ©Photograph: John Reidy

The Maguires from Currow, Seán Anne and Cassie pictured on St. Patrick’s Day in Castleisland. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Saoirse and Emma Gee, Castleisland with Meave and Seán Crean, Knocknagoshel on St. Patrick’s Day in Castleisland. ©Photograph: John Reidy

A general consensus took on a definable form as soon as the crowds began to gather on St. Patrick’s Day in Castleisland and it hardened into the indisputable fact that we were witnessing one of the biggest days for years and one of the great days for the town.

Yes and No voters mixed with the undecided and made it yet another victory for volunteerism, local initiative and self help.

I don’t know how you’d quantify the crowds of one year’s parade against another but this year, with its glorious parade time weather, is certainly up there with the best of them.

Us and Our Neighbours

It’s all thanks to the people who went to the bother of organising everything and to the people from the locality and neighbouring villages who made the effort to be here on the great day.

It all came together so well from the moment, a couple of hours before the off time of 1:30pm., when the rain stopped and the clouds parted and we got the first glimpse of the day of the blue sky that was to stay with us for when it mattered.

It played a major role in how people enjoyed of one of the most important days in Ireland. A day on which we celebrate and showcase and cut loose on the world with all we have to be proud of.

Back to Basics

It will be back to basics now for the volunteers as the flags and bunting are taken down, folded, dried and stored away until this time next year.

I met a couple of the volunteers later on St. Patrick’s Night and were delighted with how the day went and the levels of support from fellow volunteers.

They will call, they said, because of the magnitude of the undertaking now, for an early summer-time meeting to ascertain the levels of support for the parade and all it involves in the years ahead.

Community Based Efforts

They’ll want to thank, they said, the people who took to the streets and those who stood on the footpaths and the businesses who backed them in their efforts to make the day a memorable one for the community and for generations to come.

Just as importantly, they’ll want, they said, to look at the people who didn’t support them in those selfless community based efforts.

They will, they said, on reflection, issue a statement in which those who did and those who didn’t will be either blessed or blasted.

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