Give Paddy’s Day plans a chance
DUNDALK TA L K
THE return of the St Patrick’s Day Parade is to be welcomed after the sojourn in 2019 when the refurbishment works in Clanbrassil Street meant that no parade could take took place.
However the decision to stage this year’s parade on the evening of March 16th has, for obvious reasons, not universally welcomed.
It might be a bit odd at first examination but there are practical considerations in the decision and the organisers are trying for something different.
It might work, it could be brilliant and then an hour beforehand it could start raining cats and dogs and be a complete washout.
The motivation behind the move to March 16th appears to be a desire on the part of the organisers to try something different and naturally change is always resisted, especially when a tradition that has existed for some time, is being abandoned.
Dundalk, as we all know, was never at the forefront when staging the biggest and best parade to mark our national holiday and this was evident for a few years when the national broadcaster, RTE failed to provide film coverage of the parade in their news bulletins and at a time when parades in some of the smallest villages in the country were covered.
Indeed for a few years there was no parade in Dundalk which led to protests by some local groups.
Now Dundalk is endeavouring to try something different and we are told that it will be the only night time parade in the country on the 16th.
Who knows Dundalk may be starting a new trend in Ireland for few anticipated that the Wren’s Day parade which started in Dingle many years ago on St. Stephen’s Day would be such a success, drawing people from all over the region and from other countries.
We all know about ‘drowning the shamrock’ on St. Patrick’s day but ‘drowning the wren’ in Dingle on December 26th is one that most people of that area can empathise with.
Dundalk’s plan to stage the parade on the 16th will undoubtedly have its critics, especially with the parents of young children, and there will be the fear, already expressed by some, that it will lead to excessive drinking on the eve of the holiday at a time when there is already some concern that St. Patrick’s day itself is used as an excuse for over indulgence in alcohol consumption.
However, the organisers have adopted a very good theme of ‘ Urban Green’ for the parade and which could tie in brilliantly with schools, their green flag projects, the wider issues of climate change and how such matters effect us here in Ireland and indeed Dundalk.