Countdown to the big parade in Newport

Planning is now at an advanced stage for this year's annual St Patrick's Day Parade at Newport taking place on Saturday week, March 14.

This year's parade, which will get under way at 12 noon, will focus on a theme of ‘Sustainability’ with the participants being urged to focus on the highlighting of the theme in the ideas for their entries.

Hundreds of people are expected to line both sides of the route through the town for the annual spectacle which has become a big attraction in recent years.

Traffic through the town will be diverted to facilitate the parade, which is expected to take more than an hour to pass the viewing stand at Main Street and will be followed by the announcing of the winning entries in the respective categories and presentation of the awards.

Marching bands, colourful street entertainers, and a large entry from local organisations and businesses is expected with the efforts of the organising committee to make it bigger and better than previous years.

Participants will assemble at Centra Supermarket and Limerick Road from where they will march through Main Street to the square before returning to the viewing stand at Main Street for the announcement of the winners in the various categories and presentation of the awards.

A very successful fundraising table quiz, the proceeds from which will go towards the considerable expenses associated with the organising and running of the event, was held at Ryan's Bar, Cork Road, Newport over the weekend.