St. Patrick (Sean O’Brien) Secretary of the Tullamore St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee with Tullamore Tidy Towns Committee members Mary Droogan, Shane Murray and Deirdre Oman and her Irish Wolfhound Bród when they attended the launch of the Tullamore 2023 St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Ger Rogers Photo.

Huge crowds expected for 40th Tullamore St Patrick’s Day parade

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Tullamore Tidy Towns members join the committee for the launch of Tullamore's St Patrick's Day Parade, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

Deirdre Verney

Published: Fri 10 Mar 2023, 6:09 PM

The Tullamore St Patrick’s Day Parade celebrates its 40th anniversary this year and it is expected to be the biggest parade so far as community groups, sporting organisations, schools, music groups, dancing schools and five major bands are take to the streets to entertain a huge viewing public estimated to be in the region of 10,000.

The committee have honoured two long serving founding members to be Joint Grand Marshals for the Parade. Chairman Johnny O’Connor, and Secretary/PRO Sean O’Brien, the two remaining founder members of the parade back in 1983.

“This year will be very special for us as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the founding of the parade. We will celebrate with the Tullamore Camogie Club who celebrate their 50th Anniversary, Tullamore Credit Union who celebrate their 60th Anniversary and the Army Band from Athlone who celebrate their 100th Anniversary. We are expecting a huge turnout from many local groups and also some from throughout the county and beyond. We have a fantastic committee who have been planning the parade since last November,” stated Sean O’Brien, Parade secretary/PRO.

"The theme this year is 'Tidy Towns-Our Community Effort Is Féidir linn le chéile'. The Tidy Towns Committee do fantastic work in making Tullamore look its very best. Tullamore is close to winning a National Award and with some help from the whole community this can be achieved. We are asking all entrants to reflect the theme in their entry," he added.

The Tullamore parade starts at 11.30am. from the car park of the Bridge Centre. All groups are asked to be there by 11am at the latest. Large floats line up in Kilcruttin and in Cormac St, opposite the Courthouse. The route is High St, Bridge St, Colmcille St, over the Kilbeggan Bridge and onto Arden Road, finishing at the GAA Centre.

There will be great entertainment at the Review Stand from 10.45am. Tullamore Comhaltas will be performing and set dancers will be showing how it is done, while Tullamore’s great singer, Dave Lawlor, will sing Amhrann Na Bhiann. The Joint Grand Marshals are Johnny O’Connor and Sean O’Brien. There is still time to enter the Parade, simply send an email to seanobrientullamore@gmail.com or call Sean at 086 3892854.

There will be free Face Painting from 11am to 1.30pm outside the Bridge Centre and at Bank of Ireland.

Fantastic prizes covering ten categories are up for grabs and as usual there will be keen competition. These prizes will be presented at a Presentation Night in Fergie's Bar on Friday, March 31. Dog owners are very welcome to walk in the Parade with their pets and there will be a special Best Dressed Dog awards.

Business owners are reminded that there will be a Best Window Display trophy so get working on your window display as the judging takes place during St Patrick’s Week.

The group thanked to their many sponsors for their support, especially Tullamore Municipal District Council, the main sponsor. Thanks also to the Gardai, Order Of Malta, Des Henry, Stephen Ravenhill, Mike Daly Landscaping and St Mary’s Youth Centre.