Three bands to perform at Moate St Patrick's Day Parade
Following a four-year hiatus the Moate St Patrick's Day Parade returned with a bang in 2023 and this year is no different as three local Marching Bands will take part this Sunday.
Athlone Town Pipe Band, Clara Town Band and the Mullingar Town Band, Celtic Crusaders will all perform on the day and almost 60 floats will take part in the parade on March 17, starting at 1.30pm. the local Comhaltas group, based in Dún Na Sí Amenity & Heritage Park will perform from 12.30pm at the viewing stand across from the Grand Hotel.
A group of 50 children and adults will play traditional music and there will be a performance by a youth céilí band also.
The parade will commence at 1.30pm from Lake Road by the Gap House Bar and Restaurant and run down as far as Bart's shop at the opposite end of the town. County singer Rosie Flanagan will MC the day's proceedings on the viewing stand where local councillors Tom Farrell, Vinnie McCormack and Aengus O'Rourke will also be in attendance along with representatives from various community groups.
Moate's Parade Committee Chairman Stuart Clifford said that it was “amazing news” that the committee managed to get three bands on board as they started the year with no band for 2024.
He continued: “It's not easy to get one either as the few marching bands available locally are generally pre-booked to the same towns year after year. After hearing our plight both Athlone and Clara town bands came to our rescue, rearranged their schedules and made room to play in our parade. Then only this week Mullingar's Celtic Crusaders' circumstances changed and they came back to us saying how much they had enjoyed Moate's Parade last year and would love to come back if we could host them once again. Of course we said yes, and then there were three."
With a number of floats entered ranging from various dancers, gods and goddesses vintage tractors, GAA teams and monster machinery, the parade is sure to entertain. Some local groups that will take part on the day include Green Knights Motorcycle Club, Leinster School of Dance, Moate Tidy Towns, Sub Aqua Athlone and St Brigids Primary School.
The parade is being very well supported by the many businesses in the town, without whom it could not take place.
For more details visit the Facebook page, 'Moate's St Patrick's Day Parade.'
Meanwhile, Ballymahon St Patrick's Day Parade will take place on Sunday, March 17 starting at 4pm. The route will begin at the Creevaghbeg Road, at the Mullingar end by the watertower and will make its way towards the town to the vocational school. The theme for this year's parade is Sláinte.
The parade will be led off by the Athlone Pipe Band and the Longford Branch of Óglaigh Náisiúnta na hÉireann (ONE) and the Manorcunningham Pipe Band Pipe Band from Donegal will also participate in the parade. A total of seven local primary schools will take part and organisers are expecting a wide variety of floats from the community and voluntary sector, business and farming groups and some of the sports clubs.