One Tipperary town missed its traditional St Patrick's Day events

Fethard will remember St. Patrick’s Day for many reasons in the past but, this year, will be more likely preferred to be forgotten – if that were possible.

It was only this time last year we mentioned three Hayes brothers from Rathcoole, who were together in Queensland, Australia for a birthday celebration, when after dinner while recalling boyhood days, one brother started singing Íosagán – a St. Patrick’s Day hymn that was stored down in the depths of his memory and stirred to life with their talk of their childhood. As he sang, the simple words of the hymn came gently as if they were surfacing one by one.  He got through the first verse without faltering but then the others came to the rescue with the second verse. 

This beautiful hymn associated with the Patrician Brothers since 1910, is still sung at the bi-lingual Parish Mass on Lá Fhéile Pádraig in Fethard every year.

NO CELEBRATIONS IN 2020

Sadly not be this year as also, the annual display of Fethard Scouts who marched through Fethard to attend and participate in the Parish Church 11am Mass.

Other ‘St. Patrick’s Day’ celebrations that are cancelled this year as a preventative action to minimise the spread of the Coronavirus in our area include, Fethard Ballroom’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Dance – an event that celebrated the reopening of the former Country Club Ballroom (originally the Capitol Cinema), on St. Patrick’s night, 17 March 17, 1993, under the umbrella of the Fethard and Killusty Community Council.