Committee feel devastated as Tallaght St Patrick’s Day festival is cancelled

By Mary Dennehy

THE ST Patrick’s Day festival in Tallaght for this year has been cancelled to pave the way for a full parade on March 17, 2018.

In recent months, a team of community volunteers have been working to bring back a similar festival to the successful event staged at Tallaght Stadium in March 2015.

However due to the success of the 2015 festival, and the numbers that turned up, organisers have been told that they need an event licence for this year.

Committee member Martha Cousins told The Echo: “We held an extremely successful festival on St Patrick’s Day 2015.

“The success of the festival was so much that this year we find ourselves required to apply for an event licence, something that’s has never been done before in this county, and we quite simply would not have the time to organise this for St Patrick’s Day 2017.

“The whole committee are devastated, but we do feel a huge air of excitement at the prospects of bringing back a parade in which the whole community can participate.

“After St Patrick’s Day 2015, there was an overwhelming demand from the public for a traditional parade-type event. So we hope to incorporate the best parts of the festival along with a traditional community arts parade for 2018”.

The committee is now concentrating on finding participants, a theme and a route for the 2018 parade.

Anybody with ideas, opinions or who would like to be part of the organising committee is encouraged to get in touch.

To get in touch or for further information, contact stpatricksdaytallaght@gmail.com or Roderick Smyth at 085 7362207.