Macnas need €10,000 from public by Sunday to hold Galway parade

Galway City arts group Macnas are using a crowdfunding website to appeal to the public for €10,000 which will ensure that a parade can take place on the streets of the city over the October Bank Holiday Weekend.

 The funding is needed to ensure that the street parade, which traditionally took place in July in previous years, can go ahead on the afternoon of Sunday, October 27.

Members of the public can make donations of as little as €10 through www.fundit.ie to ensure that the parade featuring 300 volunteer performers will take over the city centre over the Halloween holiday weekend.

But they must reach their target by Sunday next – last evening the amount pledged had reached €3,600, leaving six days to close the gap. If the amount falls short, the project does not get Fund It funding, and people who have pledged money are not charged.

The switch to a new date on the calendar for the parade is seen as a brave move by the street theatre company, who still need to make up the €10,000 in funding from the public despite strong support from Galway City Council, the Latin Quarter, the West End traders, the Galway Clinic, and Avaya.

“We are aware that a lot of people have not got a lot of money these days and we acknowledge that,” said the Macnas Artistic Director, Noeline Kavanagh, this week.

“But having a free, civic event like the Macnas Parade is really important for the city. It gives people access to the arts for free. It provides an outlet and a ritual for our community. It’s something special to the West of Ireland and celebrates our wildness and heritage.”

With the city’s annual comedy festival and big concerts by Chic and Primal Scream already planned for the October Bank Holiday Weekend, Noeline believes that a Macnas Parade on this novel date will provide a fitting end to a fantastic summer of festivals in Galway.

“The Halloween Bank Holiday weekend has become an increasingly dynamic weekend in Galway and the addition of a Macnas Parade will be a huge attraction for local audiences and attract many visitors to the city,” said Noeline.

“What’s brilliant about our parade is that the public become the performers with over 300 costumed volunteers taking part. It provides an outlet and a ritual for our community. We are expecting an audience of up to 40,000 to gather for a collective celebration in the heart of the city.”

To donate to the FundIt site, click here

Read more in today’s Connacht Sentinel