Roscrea’s 40th St Patrick’s Day Parade

 

Roscrea Community Development Council’s sub-committee, under the Chairmanship of Steve Crofton, are finalising plans for Roscrea’s 40th annual successive St Patrick’s Day Parade in the town, which takes place with the blessing of shamrock at the Review Stand at 3pm while the Roscrea parade commences at 3.30pm on Saturday, March 17th, our national feast day.  
The organising committee are seeking your participation and support and hope this year to have representation from all community groups in the town to make the 2018 parade a truly community event. The theme of this year’s parade is 'Memories of by-gone years', remembering the past 40 years of the Roscrea parade, which commenced with the inaugural Parade in 1979 on that bitterly cold St Patrick’s Day, on which the town experienced Arctic conditions, and on which day the young members of the local Junior Chamber gave Roscrea the first of its 40 successive St Patrick’s Day parades.
Included in this year’s Roscrea parade are two marching bands, Banna Damer – Roscrea Comhaltas and the McDonagh Pipe Band from Templemore.


The parade organisers extend a welcome to all those who wish to enter a float in this year’s parade. Float entries are free and while floats are welcome to turn up on the day at the assembly point for the parade, which is on the old Dublin Road, the organisers request that if possible floats would give details beforehand to Parade Secretary Marie (086-0755680) to facilitate the parade narrative and thus give the float and its organisers due exposure and publicity.


The parade organisers welcomes all of those who were involved in organising any of the previous Roscrea parades to a pre-parade reception at the White House at 2.15pm on the day and also on the Review Stand to review the parade.


As the Templemore parade takes place in the forenoon of the national feast day and the Nenagh parade takes place on Sunday, the organisers of the Roscrea parade extend a special welcome to those taking part in both parades to participate in Roscrea’s parade. If they have not contacted the organisers beforehand, they are welcome to turn up on the day.

CASH PRIZES - €600
The organising committee have decided to give out a cash prize of €100 to each winning entry in the following categories: Best Overall Entry, Best Schools Entry, Best Business Float, Best Sport/Youth Category, Best Residents Group and Heritage Category. Therefore the committee are urging all entrants to make a special effort in the hope of winning the cash prizes.


As usual, there are a large number of trophies in various categories for parade entries and hence those entering floats are encouraged to make ‘the little extra effort’, which might be rewarded with a perpetual trophy.


The annual Shop Window competition will also be held this year with 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes, the winners of which will be announced from the Review Stand. This year’s Shop Window Display will be on the same theme as the parade, i.e. 'Memories of by-gone years', and all traders are requested to make the effort for the occasion and to take part.
Entry to the parade is free and the committee are inviting individuals, groups, organisations, clubs, businesses, novelty items and community interest groups to enter floats and add to the diversity of the parade. For further information or an entry form, contact Marie at 0505 21566 or email rctlc@eircom.net.


The Guest of Honour for Roscrea’s 40th Parade will be Mrs Joan Hastings, proprietor of Percival’s Hardware Store in Roscrea, one of the town’s oldest businesses. Mrs Hastings and her business have entered the Shop Window Display each year and have won it on very many occasions. Mrs Hastings is a much-loved and respected member of Roscrea’s business community and the parade organisers say that they are honoured that she accepted their invitation to be Guest of Honour for the town’s 40th successive St Patrick’s Day parade.


The focus of activity will be the square where the Review Stand will be located, as in past years at the junction of Castle Street and Main Street. Courtesy of the parade committee, there will be face painting outside Shaw's from 2pm to 4pm. Roscrea Comhaltas will entertain the crowd from 1.30pm – 3pm with music and song.