The St Patrick’s Day parade in Tallaght needs you!
By Mary Dennehy
MEMBERS of the community are being invited to be part of the revived St Patrick’s Day Parade in Tallaght, with a call-out being made for bands, groups, clubs and volunteers to help paint their hometown green this March 17.
A St Patrick’s Day parade will again march proudly through Tallaght Village after a team of community volunteers united to revive the event, which was once an annual highlight in the local calendar.
This year’s parade will march along a smaller route however, organisers hope that the event will grow in the coming years.
The revived parade will on March 17 leave the grounds of IT Tallaght, move along the Old Blessington Road onto Main Street in Tallaght Village before turning left onto the Greenhills Road and back into IT Tallaght.
The college campus will also be the location of a new family arts festival on the day and boast plenty of St Patrick’s Day events for the whole family, with organisers seeking bands, groups and clubs to march in the parade or perform on the festival’s main stage.
Roderick Smyth, organisaing committee member, said: “We would love to have a big, noisy, exciting parade and festival this St Patrick’s Day in Tallaght.
“We are hoping to set the day off with maybe some noisy motorbikes to create a buzz around the village, followed by a samba band or a drums circle to be followed by sports groups and community groups and youth clubs.”
He added: “We also need local talent to perform on our main festival stage.
“We know that we have fantastic musicians, bands and singer songwriters and would love to feature them on our main stage.”
Roderick continued: “The reaction we have received since our launch has been fantastic, there is a huge appetite to bring the parade back to Main Street.
“And, the introduction of the arts festival with face painting and family events, along with a main stage of entertainment, means that those groups who march in the parade will then be able to enjoy the rest of the day, along with the public who come along.”
Getting involved is easy, with members of the public invited to sign up as a participant, sponsor or volunteer.
“Volunteering on the day is actually great fun”, said Adam Smyth, volunteer co-ordinator for the event.
“There are many roles from supervising the parade to coordinating the acts on stage, there is a role for everyone.
“We will rotate positions so everyone can have a great experience and we will make sure that you are fed on the day and will even give you a hi-viz vest with your very own name tag!”
To get involved in the community celebration, which is being supported by IT Tallaght and South Dublin County Council, visit the St Patrick’s Day Tallaght Facebook page.
