OPINION: Cootehill Chamber of Commerce's response to our parade editorial

The Cootehill Chamber response in full, received on Friday (March 22):
“In response to the article that appeared on page 44 of the Anglo Celt published on the 21st March 2013 entitled “Perhaps it’s time to look at one big parade for County Cavan”, Cootehill Chamber take this opportunity to reply to the Article, a number of our members having expressed their concerns.
Cootehill is one of the many towns in County Cavan who hold a parade each St. Patrick’s Day as well as Killeshandra, Kingscourt, Bailieborough, Arva, Ballyconnell, Kilnaleck, Ballyjamesduff, Blacklion, Swanlinbar, Ballinagh and Mullagh. 2013 saw Cootehill hold it’s 28th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade and it is an event that the local community are extremely proud of and have expanded upon each year to make it the success that it is. The parade is an important community event in the annual calendar of events and is excitedly anticipated by many each year. Indeed, the number of local retailers, businesses, clubs and societies that take part has also grown over the years as has the number of those attending the parade itself. The parade plays a very significant part in our social calendar and results in many benefits for the residents of Cootehill in addition to being a family fun day. Our members and businesses in Cootehill actively participate in the festival. Retailers decorate their premises for the occasion with gaily coloured shop fronts inviting customers in with the effect that spending is up, thus safeguarding jobs. Additionally, the parade itself is an opportunity for local dignitaries including Councillors and TDs to take a position on the Review Stand and to mingle with those who attended the parade.
Cootehill is a thriving town in County Cavan yet like other towns in the County has suffered in recent times, including having had to endure the closure of our Courthouse and more recently the closure of Allied Irish Bank with customer accounts transferred to the branch in Cavan town. Cootehill has also seen the loss of services provided by Cavan County Council, the impending loss of our Town Council and the loss of street cleaning services. Now it appears that some are of the view that many towns in the County should lose out on holding a St. Patrick’s Day Parade with only one parade held in the County of Cavan, the latest suggestion towards centralisation. The Author’s suggestion that the reason for holding parades is “largely down to tradition” is somewhat contradicted by their later comment that St. Patrick’s Day is in fact “about celebrating all that is great about Irish culture and tradition”.
Cootehill Chamber of Commerce would like to point out to the Author of the Article, who is unnamed, although the Article appears under the title “The Anglo Celt”, that despite not holding one central parade, as suggested, Cootehill has successfully attracted “a very high calibre of floats”. It certainly could not be described as a “tractor parade” with a huge diversity of floats entered, making for a difficult decision when voting for the category winners including the amazing “Middle Earth” float entered by Abbott Ireland, the fantastic Gingerbread float entered by Carleton Bakery and the highly amusing Mrs. Brown’s Boys float entered by Cootehill Harps to name but a few of the vibrant and incredible entries, that would surely rival the standard of floats entered in the parade in Dublin. Perhaps the Author of the Article would be happier if the parade in Dublin was the only parade to be held.”