St Patrick’s Day Parade to put focus on fun and frolics

Tomorrow’s  St Patrick’s Day Parade will be led by Little John Nee whose prominent role in the arts highlights this year’s theme celebrating the cultural and artistic life of the city over the past 30 years ahead of Galway’s bid to become European Capital of Culture 2020.

Around 70 community groups, schools and clubs will take part in the parade, which will feature the Macnas Young Ensemble who are promising to create magic, mayhem and buffoonery.

There is a particular emphasis on cultural icons in recognition of the theme – there will be a giant puppet of the Taibhdhearc man, the emblem of the national Irish language theatre company, a puppet of St Patrick himself and representations of Manannan Mac Lir and St Francis, patron saint of ecology and environment.

Groups set to ramp up the entertainment will be the Dirty Circus, the Salsa Latin Dancers Community Group, Galway Egypt Belly Dancers, Les Hot Culottes and the dancing troupe from Lorient, Galway’s twinned city, Bugale An Oriant.

Music is being provided by Gamelan Na Gaillimhe’s Indonesian gongs, local band Cúla Bula, the Patrician Brass Band, St Patrick’s Brass Band and the Funky Drums.

Two circuses will take part – Duffy’s and Galway Community Circus.

Badóirí an Cladaigh (Claddagh Boatmen) have arranged for a hooker to be place in Eyre Square where a band will provide music before the parade makes its way to Eyre Square.

A spokesman for Galway City Council said performer, writer and musician Little John Nee was invited to lead the parade as he was a pioneer of street performance in Galway and Ireland.

“Little John Nee is the Godfather of the Street, a modern day seanchaí, a musician of some note and a brilliant theatre maker and story teller,” he enthused.

“The invitation to lead off the Galway St. Patrick’s Day Parade is recognition of the role that Little John Nee has played in the creative and cultural life of Galway over the past 30 years and ties in neatly with the theme of this year’s parade as Galway heads toward the bid to become European Capital of Culture 2020.”

For many years, Little John had a key role in the Macnas summer parades in the Galway Arts Festival. This time he leads the parade in a horse drawn Victorian carriage.

A long-time Galway resident, the Donegal native has won critical acclaim and awards at home and abroad for his informal, engaging style of theatre with its unique mix of storytelling and song, humour, poignancy, and lyricism.

The parade’s reviewing stand will not feature Cllr Pearce Flannery, who has given up his place for a representative from the special school Ábalta. He invited other councillors other than the Mayor to follow suit.

“It really is an unedifying sight when one sees the elected body wearing their red capes up on a covered viewing platform absolutely removed from the public while others with special needs or disabilities view from unsuitable places often in the rain,” the Fine Gael councillor stated.

Cllr Anna Marley said she had been contacted by people working in the disability sector who were outraged by what they termed “an opportunistic, empty gesture” while government cutbacks continued to impose additional suffering on an already beleaguered section of society.

“Broadly speaking, Sinn Féin can see some merits in this but it was never our intention to be on the reviewing platform anyway. But, more importantly, marginalised groups in society must never be used in a tokenistic manner.”

A City Council spokesman said in line with a practice that has continued for many years, there will be a viewing area for disabled people. Following a safety audit, this has been moved beside the main stage.

The Gardaí have urged motorists to leave their cars at home if they intend to drink over the bank holiday. Additional resources will be deployed across the Western Garda Region during the weekend with a series of mandatory alcohol testing checkpoints in place.

The parade kicks off outside the Fire Station at the end of Dominick Street at 11.30am before entering Shop Street, William Street and Eyre Square and finishing on Prospect Hill at around 1pm.