A celebration of local sport in Tralee this St Patrick’s Day

TRALEE basketball star Rick Leonard has been unveiled as the Grand Marshal for the town’s 2017 St Patrick’s Day Parade.

The theme of the festivities in the county capital this year will be a Celebration of Tralee Sport.

As ever, local community groups and organisations, as well as clubs, schools and businesses are invited to take part in what is always Kerry’s biggest St Patrick’s Day parade.

The parade, which also marks the end of the year-long Tralee 800 celebrations, will get underway at 12pm sharp on Friday March 17 and will travel from John Joe Sheehy Road through Boherbee and onto Castle Street before finishing on Denny Street.

“It was fitting that we should choose a sporting theme for this year’s parade with so many sporting events involving Tralee people over that weekend,” said Tralee St Patrick’s Day Committee Chairman Johnnie Wall.

“We have Kerry versus Dublin at Austin Stack Park; Tralee’s own Ultan Dillane hopefully in action for Ireland against England; around 1000 athletes lining up for the Tralee International Marathon on Saturday and the Garvey’s Tralee Warriors will playing the Eagles on Sunday March 19,”hesaid.

“We are delighted to feature Rick Leonard as our Grand Marshall. He has been at the heart of sporting life in Tralee for over two decades and he is a wonderful ambassador for the town,” Mr Wall said.

Parade application forms are available from Tralee Chamber Alliance on Denny Street; www.Tralee.ie; Kerry County Council’s offices in Princes Quay and Rathass; The Abbey Inn and via the Tralee St Patrick’s Day Facebook Page.

Completed forms must be returned by Friday March 4.

Prizes will be awarded in a number of categories on the day.

Irish International and Tralee Warriors Basketball Player Ryan Leonard who launched this year’ Tralees St Patrick’s Day celebrations at CBS Primary School in Tralee on Monday. Helping Leonard launch the festivities were, Ciara Drummy, Jadyen Breen, Amy...