‘We want to make it as colourful as we can!’

Party People urged to support Cavan parades

People are being urged to come out in numbers and support the Cavan Town St Patrick’s Day parade this year.

“It’s been a tough few years and there has been a lot of interest in the parade and different groups are chomping at the bit to get out and march. We want to make it as colourful as we can and ask people to come out and enjoy the day.”

That was the message from the chairman of the Cavan St Patrick’s Day Parade Committee, Mickey Mooney of the Slieve Rossa Bar.

The committee has extended an invitation to golfer Leona Maguire to be grand marshal for this year’s parade, schedule permitting.

Already four or five marching bands have been booked and businesses and clubs are being encouraged to enter floats.

Mickey points out that entries are free and he is hopeful everybody will make a big effort. “Considering we have had nothing for the last two years, we want to make it as colourful as we can and lift everybody’s spirits,” he said.

The Eddie Brady Perpetual Cup is also up for grabs for the best float on the day.

The last parade was staged in 2019, three years ago, as the Coronavirus struck in early 2020 and the St Patrick’s Day parades nationwide were among the first casualties and event cancellations ahead of a total lockdown.

Given, the last-minute cancellation, Mickey explains there was enough money in the committee’s kitty to pull off this year’s parade without having to hit hard-pressed businesses.

“In 2020, we had a lot of work done. We had secured a lot of funding through Church Gate collections and our annual appeal. Bearing in mind what businesses had been through, we took the decision not to ask for funding and burden businesses any further. We wanted to give them a break,” said Mickey.

As is tradition, marching groups and floats will assemble and line up in the Tesco carpark from 11:45am and the parade will get underway at 12:30pm.

It will also be streamed live on Cavan TV.

Entries can be given to Micheal on 087-6435901.

As a county, Cavan is renowned for hosted more parades than perhaps any other county nationwide, with more than a dozen in previous years. Given the pandemic and the fact that, this year, St Patrick’s Day is set to kick-off a four-day weekend, it’s likely Cavan people will be on the march again in their thousands.

Keep an eye on local news over the coming weeks for details of all parades.