All roads lead to Blackrock this St Patrick’s Day
AFTER the postponement of last year’s event, Blackrock is more eager than ever looking forward to its Saint Patrick’s Day parade this Saturday, with a 1.30pm start.
A giant dark cloud hung over the community with the Coast Guard helicopter tragedy off the coast of Mayo 12 months ago and a silent vigil was held on the night of the national feast day at the sun dial in support of the victims and their families, especially of local man Captain Mark Duffy.
The tragedy still echoes and sympathy abides for those affected, especially close family.
But in striving to return to some semblance of normality, Saint Patrick’s Day is the one day that identifies the Irish world wide, and all nationalities wish to celebrate with them on the national saint’s day.
Parades are held all over the globe, virtually wherever Irish people have travelled. But until six years ago Blackrock didn’t have such a celebration.
The village Tourism and Development Group are keen to make the parade a thoroughly enjoyable spectacle, full of colour, vitality, sound and music.
That is why the Group has attached the theme “Coastal Carnival” to the event, seeking the support and co-operation of participants and spectators alike to achieve such an atmosphere, encouraging all to wear the like of sun glasses, and use their imaginations to bring to the parade creations that you would associate with the coast and a carnival, such as sea creatures and play a part in generating fun, such as dancing and even taking along your dancing shoes.
The prize categories have been devised to award the floats that best represent what the organisers’ vision is for the parade.
The overall winning prize will be presented to the float with the best creative interpretation of the theme. Other prizes will be awarded for:
Best Impact Float (the largest numbers and physical size of Float) Best Creative Noise Float (making your own sound, think Carnival & Seaside) Best Colourful Float Each participating group or float will be required to lead with a LARGE banner with their title. This is to help the judges and ensure they don’t give out the wrong prize! Winners will be announced from the stage at the end of the parade.
Usually held in the evening, the parade has been brought forward to 1.30pm to avoid a clash with the Big Rugby mach between Ireland and England, and allow spectators and participants alike to take in both events.
The organisers are keeping fingers crossed that they will be lucky again with the weather.
The Weather Gods have been kind each year since the event was inaugurated in 2012. The crowds have come out in huge numbers, and for all concerned the parade has been a great occasion to get out and mingle and meet with people and put the winter behind them and look forward to the longer and hopefully better and sunnier days.
The organisers have done their best with limited resources and indeed support to make the parade as attractive and appealing to a wide audience. All the while they have tried to make the parade more of a spectacle and to lift the atmosphere, while enjoying the goodwill and support of local organisations, clubs and businesses who have faithfully participated in the parade and freely given their time to create enjoyment for those in the community and much further afield, as the drawing power of the parade has spread.
The village is a perfect location with an ideal vantage point to view the event with the promenade wall running the length of the Main Street where the crowd gather. It is also an intimate setting with the spectators close to the participants as they line up on either side of the street, which is conducive to a festive interaction between onlookers and those in the parade.
The beautiful scenic background of the Cooley Mountains and Dundalk Bay serves to enhance the experience for all. The village is quite unique in this respect, with much more to enjoy before and after the parade with an array of top class restaurants, cafés and hostelries serving wonderful food and refreshments . You can sit down and relax and meet friends and acquaintances that you might not have seen in a while.
The parade will follow the normal route through the village, with participants asked to turn up at the starting point at Cocklehill at 1pm.