All set for the St Patrick's Day Parade in Tipperary Town

The St. Patrick's Day Parade returns to the streets of Tipperary Town this year after an absence of 3 years. There was an event for St. Patrick's Day in the Market Yard last year but no parade, so the news of its return to the streets of the town will be greatly welcomed by young and old alike.

A committee was formed some weeks back under the aegis of Tipperary Town Chamber of Commerce, and has been working hard to ensure that the parade is a highlight for Tipperary Town and for those who will travel from a wide area to view it.

This Grand Marshalls for the parade will be the members of the Men's Shed from Knockanrawley Resource Centre. The Tipperary Town Men's Shed were recent winners of a special award at the IPB Pride of Place Awards in Dublin. The group won the award in the Community Well Being Category.

The Men's Shed group has 15 active members and contributes to many activities in Tipperary Town. The Tipperary Town Men’s Shed was the first ever to be established in Ireland in 2009. Following the formation of this first shed in Ireland, the shed movement began to grow rapidly. There are now over 400 sheds registered with the Irish Men’s Sheds Association and at least 12,000 men visiting a shed every week.

The parade on St. Patrick's Day will start from The Plan at 2pm and will follow the ususal route through the town. It is expected that the parade will feature floats from local schools, sports clubs and community organisations, as well as a host of different types of vehicles and commercial entries.

Those wishing to enter the parade should message the St. Patrick's Day Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/stpat ricksdaytipperary with entry details and it is noted that everyone entering must show proof of their own insurance cover. A key aspect of the parade each year is the music and entertainment and this will be in plentiful supply with various local artists performing on stage from 12:00 noon.

The Wobbly Circus will also be on the streets prior to the parade and are sure to be a great hit with young and old alike. The MC for the event is Willie Bun and his commentary and banter with participants throughout the parade is always a great highlight of the day.

The businesses community is being encouraged to dress their windows appropriately for the day and as encouragement there is a Best Dressed Window competition for all businesses. The children are invited to enter a colouring competition for our National Day and there will be prizes for the best entries in different categories. It promises to be a great event and hopefully there will be great participation on the day.

For the crowds that will line the streets they can be assured that they will be able to hear the music and commentary from the loudspeaking system being provided by DJ Francis. There will also be a carnival atmosphere at Flanagans Lane (on the parade route) on St. Patrick's Day as there will be live music in the Lane on the day from 12:00 noon.

The highly versatile band 'Acoustra' will be performing in the Lane from 12 noon and later from 2pm there will be music from Scots' Bridge, and from local musicians Oran Kelly and Dan Moloney. That is a very exciting addition to the day and will certainly add great atmosphere to the Main Street. A final reminder to get your entry in for the 2023 St. Patrick's Day Parade and the very best of luck to the organisers and participants.