Theme announced for east Mayo town's St. Patrick's Day celebrations
The theme for this year’s St Patricks Day in Ballaghaderreen has been announced as 'We are one', encouraging people from all over the world to come to the town to connect and celebrate together.
The Ballaghaderreen Town Team is now seeking entrants for the parade with the aim of making it bigger and better than ever before.
Prizes are to be won in the following categories:
* Overall winner – €200
* Best float – €100
* Best club €100
* Best community effort – €100
* Best children’s effort – €100
* Most topical – €100
* Best creative entry – €100
* Best schools – €100
* Best musical entry – €100
* There will also be a prize for ‘Best window display’ – €100
This year the celebrations will also include a St. Patrick's Day Parade Children's Art Competition. Please enter by emailing your works of art to stpatricksdayparadeballagh@gmail.com with your full name, age and contact details.
The parade will start on Friday, March 17, at 2.30 p.m., coming in from the Sligo Road and will then travel up through the town, with stops at the square and outside Imelda Towey’s shop for performances.
There will be two starting points, one at Abbeyfield, for those driving floats, and one at the cathedral for walking floats and younger people.
The judges will be situated on the square and there will be enclosed spectator areas on the square and throughout the town.
A spokesperson for the Ballaghaderreen Town Team says, “We had such a great turnout last year and everyone had a wonderful day, we’re adding more this year and we’re really hoping to make the day better and better every year!”
The Ballaghaderreen Town Team is a small group of volunteers, who represent various community groups in the Ballaghaderreen area and following on from its success last year, they have been asked to organise the St Patrick’s Day parade again.
If you are interested in taking part in this year’s event, an application form is available at https://forms.gle/jYmrmMaPu1bEGj4h9 or you can pick up and drop off a hard copy at the Community Resource Centre at the Shambles, Charlestown Road, Ballaghaderreen.
There is no entry fee however donations can be made when submitting a paper entry form or visit our GoFundMe page to add a donation: https://gofund.me/48f49b50.
Please email stpatricksdayparadeballagh@gmail.com if you have any queries or visit ‘Ballaghaderreen St Patrick’s Day Parade’ on Facebook.