A lively spectacle draws huge attendance to town

It wasn"t quite streets of gold in Athlone yesterday (Tuesday), but rather streets of green, as the people came out in droves to celebrate St Patrick"s Day and watch what was a truly colourful and lively parade. The parade kicked off shortly after 3pm and wound its way up the town from Golden Island to Connaught Street with massive crowds lining the route, which was down to one traffic lane in parts due to large numbers on the street to see the parade. There was an air of community spirit and festivity as the dreaded recession was forgotten for the day and Athlonians celebrated their Irishness in style. The unseasonally pleasant weather contributed to the feelgood factor and helped draw a large crowd of both audience and participants. From flame throwers to demonstrations from the towns various clubs, this year"s parade was one of the finest the town has seen in a number of years. And with the local elections just around the corner the national leaders of the political parties made sure to get out and canvas in the form of Tonnta puppets. Perhaps one of the most enthusiastic groups was St Brigid"s GAA Club and the young people there let the crowd know that St Brigid"s was the best! Although I"m pretty sure Clann na nGael and Athlone GAA Club may have had something to say about that had they been in earshot at the time. And while the energetic crowd cheered on Athlone Special Olympics Club at the bridge, the young people in Athlone Taek-won-do Club showed off their skills with a demonstration. Attitude Dance Company, just back from a West End performance in London, wowed the crowd with demonstrations and cheerleading. Perhaps one of the most difficult demonstrations of the day was Tonnta"s flame throwing and fire breathing, but as always the street theatre and arts group pulled it off with aplomb and wowed the kiddies in the crowd with the fire-eating display near the castle. The Ravens Marching Band entertained the crowd with a fine performance and ensured all those just behind were marching to the beat of the drums. Those behind the Sonshine Bus Ministries greeted the crowd with messages about St Patrick and let them know that the bus is in town from 4pm to 6pm on Sundays at Burgess Park. As always Custume Barracks was well represented with armoured personnel carriers making their way through the streets of the town accompanied by soldiers in camouflage and while some people participating in the parade had colourful string sprayed at them, the soldiers were somewhat luckier. One boy decided he"d give it a try, but one look at the soldier and he changed his mind, quickly making his way back into the crowd! The ASPCA showed off some of the lovely dogs who are seeking new homes, some of them being a little more energetic than others, taking the dog walker for a walk, rather than the other way around. The stars were also out for St Patrick"s Day as the members of one of town"s newest clubs, the Athlone Film Club, took to the streets in the guise of our favourite celebrities and just hours away from the world screening of The Simpsons St Patrick"s Day special, which was to be aired in Ireland before anywhere else, even Bart stopped by to greet the people of Athlone. Rodney and Del Boy also made an appearance in Athlone yesterday and happily posed for photographs for onlookers. With a host of colour some samba dancers entertained the crowds and several of the floats participating encouraged us to be green and not just for St Patrick"s Day either, with floats encouraging recycling and offering tips on how to reduce your electricity bills, something which seemed to be warmly welcomed by the crowd. And of course what parade would be complete without St Pat himself, who was among those encouraging environmental awareness and recycling. The vintage cars, too, made their way along the parade route and there were some cheers from the crowd as a Viking motorcyclist revved his engine. The Athlone Water Sports Club was a popular entrant in the parade as those in the boat threw sweets and other goodies to the crowd and as always the Defence Forces and Fire Service made a major effort. With the viewing stand located on St Peter"s Square and music filtering onto Church Street there was a festive and party atmosphere throughout the entire town as Athlonians came out to mark their national day and with the fine weather, the celebrations continued on the street long after the parade itself had ended. The Athlone Architectural Heritage Group made their point regarding the town"s handling of its Count John McCormack legacy, whilst one of the more organised floats came from the Crosswood Turbary Rights group, who were protesting against proposed restrictions on domestic turf cutting. Burn turf not oil was one of their slogans, whilst the placard: 'White collar boys off our bogs' drew a laugh from the largely sympathetic crowd.