Thurles St. Patrick’s Day Parade Sunday 21st March

Tomas Gleeson reports on forthcoming St. Patrick’s Day activities in Thurles.

This years St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Thurles will be held on Sunday the 21st of March
The Parade leaves from Abbey Road at 2.45pm and all participants in this years Parade should be in Abbey Road by 2.15pm. John Kenehan and Martin Taylor, with the help of some stewards, will be in charge of starting the Parade.

St Patrick's Day Parade - 21st March in Thurles

The Parade, with ten bands which promises to be one of our biggest parades ever, will head down Friar Street and on to Liberty Square where the reviewing-stand will be in position.
At the same time as the Parade is starting in Abbey Road, a blessing of the Parade and its participants will take place in Liberty Square and this will be followed by the band playing our National Anthem.

A full afternoon’s entertainment has been organised for that day and it promises to be an enjoyable afternoon for all the family. There is music and dance in Liberty Square from 2.15pm to the music of ‘The Moynihan Brothers’. There are also face painters, a balloon modeller, stilt walkers, magic, comedy etc. to entertain both adults and children. This entertainment will continue after the Parade, until approximately 5.00pm.

Prize Fund

A prize fund of up to €3,000 will see over 20 prizes and 700 medals been given out on the day. The prizes will be presented at a ceremony in Hayes Hotel at 4.45pm approximately. Prizes will also be awarded for the best dressed window and for the best Irish window. All shops are asked to decorate their premises appropriate for the occasion.

Well done to the business community in Thurles, who have contributed so generously to the funding of this Parade. Sponsorship continues to be accepted and all such sponsorship will be acknowledged. Stewards are required for the period from 2.15pm to 5.00pm to help out on the day of the Parade. Please report to Jimmy Purcell (Chief Steward) at the reviewing stand at 2.15pm if you are willing to help out. Show your support and bring along your Irish flags or hats and add a bit of colour to the day. Many of the prizes will be on display in McMahon’s window in Liberty Square until Saturday 20th March. All spectators are asked to donate 50c towards the running of the Parade and a bucket collection for this purpose will be taken up during the Parade. For further information, entries or sponsorship please contact Tom Gleeson (Telephone 087-9732837) or visit the web site www.stpatricksdayparadethurles.com

Parking and Traffic Restrictions

From 11am to 4.45pm:-
No parking in Liberty Square from Executive Menswear to Fones4U.
No parking from Brennan’s Pub to Hayes Hotel entrance.
No parking in the centre of the Square between those areas.
No traffic through this section of the Square from 2.15pm to 4.45pm. Diversions will be in operation.
The viewing stand will be placed outside The First Active and the band stand will be placed in the centre of the Square opposite Brennan’s Pub. Both of these spaces should be clear by 10am on Sunday morning.
No parking on the left hand side of Abbey Road from the Kennedy Park round-about to the Railway Bridge
for the period from 2pm to 4pm.