St Patrick's Day parades in Offaly

Parades in honour of St Patrick will take place in towns across Offaly this weekend, with the exception of Kilcormac which has chosen to postpone their parade because of Kilcormac Killoughey’s appearance in the All-Ireland club hurling final in Croke Park.

Festivities will begin in the county town of Tullamore on March 17, with floats set to hit the street at 11.30am. Clara’s parade will begin at 12.30pm, with Edenderry following at 1pm. Banagher will hold its river parade at 12.30pm, followed by a street parade at 3pm.

Tullamore’s St Patrick’s Day parade has been expanded as a longer Gathering event this year. As well as the parade on March 17 there will be events on surrounding days too. Entertainment in the town over the festive period will include the story of Tullamore DEW and distilling in Tullamore, a craft market in O’Connor Square, barge trips, open air music, a turf cutting skills competition and a vintage display.

The town’s parade on Sunday will be opened by Tullamore native and President of the Offalymen’s Association in London Dermot O’Brien. A number of floats are set to take part as well as six marching bands and local clubs and groups. Local company StageCraft Ireland has also been hosting workshops in the run-up to the festival, and the emerging stilt walkers, poi performers and puppets are bound to impress on parade day. More information on Tullamore’s St Patrick’s celebrations are available by logging on to www.stpatricksdaytullamore.com.

While Clara’s parade waits until 12.30pm to begin on Sunday, a concert involving Rahan Comhaltas, Maura Maher Dances, The Celtic Blondes and Clara Ballad Group will provide entertainment in the town from 11.30am. Following the parade there will be further entertainment until 6pm that evening.

Edenderry also has additional entertainment as well as its parade. A culture day with music and dancing will take place the square on March 16, while traditional music and dance will be added to its parade on March 17.

Meanwhile in Banagher a now traditional river parade will take place at 12.30pm on Sunday. This river parade involves a number of colourful decorated boats on the River Shannon. A town parade on dry land will follow at 3pm, while in turn that will be followed by further events.

Kilcormac will be all but empty of residents on March 17 due to local hurlers appearing in Croke Park. However organisers have re-arranged the town’s parade for Sunday, March 24 at 3.30pm and those who take part in this weekend’s parades in other locations in the county have been invited to head to Kilcormac a week later to take part in a second parade.

Traffic restrictions will operate in all locations in order to allow parades to take place. In Edenderry it’s expected closures and diversions will begin at 12.30pm on March 17, with a full traffic plan in place by 1.30pm.

Motorists are asked to refrain from parking on JKL Street at parade time. Killane Cross will be fully closed to traffic coming into town from the Tullamore direction, with traffic diverted onto the Back Road and St Francis Street, Carrick Road and Clonmullen. Traffic coming into the town from the Dublin Road will be diverted right at the Four Sons Pub before continuing towards Clonmullen, Carrick Road and St Francis Street.

Bus Eireann services will only run from the Dublin Road and not the centre of town from 1pm to 4pm on the day.

Meanwhile in Tullamore O’Connor Square will be closed from 6pm today (Friday) to 10pm tomorrow in order to make way for a craft market, live bands, a bouncy castle and simulator. High Street, Bridge Street and Colmcille Street will be closed to traffic from 11am to 2pm on March 17. Market Square will be closed from 6pm on March 17 to 10pm on March 18 as there will be a major vintage display and live bands playing at the location.