Women to the fore at Sligo’s parade
IT was freezing cold but that didn’t deter participants and spectators enjoying the many St Patrick Day Parades around the county. Sligo, the biggest parade which got underway at midday had the theme of The Year of the Woman which celebrated the centenary of women being granted the right to vote and also one hundred years of Countess Markievicz being elected to the House of Commons.
Many of the floats adopted the theme of women with O’Hehir’s Bakery winning the overall prize.
O’HEHIR’S were the overall prize-winners at this year’s Sligo St. Patrick’s Day parade.
Celebrating 47 years of parades in Sligo town, there were over 70 floats entered. This year’s theme was ‘women’. “It was great, it went really well,” Finbarr Filan, Chairperson of the parade committee, told The Sligo Champion.
He added: “The theme of women was adhered to broadly. The theme is just a bit of a guideline and a bit of fun. Some people go with it and some don’t, it’s just to get into the general spirit of things. I wouldn’t get too caught up in it.”
The proceeds of this year’s bucket collection will go towards Sligo Social Services. Since Sligo BID (Business Improvement District) took over the running of the parade, they have been able to give something back to the community via the parade. Around €1,200 was raised for Sligo Social Services.
“It’s something different. In previous years the money had to go to funding the next year’s parade but since BID took it over we can now have a charity partner. We’re delighted, we’ ll hand over that money now on Sunday.”
Filan continued: “The parade is sort of a well oiled machine at this stage. We won’t meet now until the second Wednesday of 2019 and then we’ ll meet up every Wednesday.
“The same people do the same things so it’s just about lining them up and getting the theme out there.
“We have to liaise with bands from up north too because we have a deal with them whereby five come every year so it’s just about picking which ones and organising insurance and all of that. It runs really well. We have a great bunch on the committee, all everyone wants is a good parade so there’s never any arguing or anything. We have great volunteers who give their time as well.”
Prizewinners were as follows:
Best Represents Theme - Riverside Hotel Overall Winner Clarence Hotel Cup - O’Hehirs
Industrial & Commercial Shield 1st place - Kool Kids
Industrial & Commercial Shield 2nd place - Abbott
Industrial & Commercial Shield 3rd place - Bank of Ireland
Arts/Culture section - Indian Association Youth Section - Silver Stars
Sports Section, 1st place - Coolera/Strandhill Sports Section, 2nd place - Strand Celtic Scouts Section - Calry Scouts
Schools Cup - Ursuline College Community Section - Samaritans Adjudicators Cup - Sligo Rugby Club Novelty Section - Sligo Gaol
Special Award 1st place - Five Fist Kung Fu Special Award 2nd place - Sligo Social Services
National Schools - Cnoc na Rí
Band Section - Churchill Pipe Band
Local Bands Section - Ballincarrow School Band
Highly Commended - Benbulben Carnival