There is so much on all over Ireland for St Patrick’s Day in 2013. Here’s what’s going on in just one city: Galway
Galway has long been a popular destination for visitors to Ireland as well as people in search of stag activities Galway. There’s something for everyone in Galway this ST Patrick’s Day
St Patricks Day Parade
2013 marks the 110th anniversary of the Galway St Patrick’s Day Parade and the Galway parade will feature an exciting mix of marching bands, local community groups, dancing groups, pipe bands and local business floats. With groups coming from all over the world, expect the streets to burst into life as the centre of the city is set to become transformed by a riot of colour and sound. The Parade start time will be 11.30am and finishing at approximately 1.00pm.
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Galway has a long and proud history in the GAA and this year the Guests of Honour for the Parade will be the 1987 and 1988 Galway All-Ireland Senior Hurling Champions. This year is the 25th anniversary of the 1988 winners and we are delighted that we will have these giants of the hurling world who have inspired many hurlers walking through the streets of Galway.
The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship of 1987 match was contested by Galway and Kilkenny, with Galway taking the title by 1-12 to 0-9. It was the 100th All-Ireland final and Galway’s third championship title ever.
The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship of 1988 was contested by Galway and Tipperary, with Galway taking the title by 1-15 to 0-14. It was Galway’s second All-Ireland title in-a-row.
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The theme for the St Patricks Day parade this year is the ‘History of Galway’. Also as part of ‘The Gathering Ireland 2013’ St. Patrick’s Festival Galway are inviting anyone with a surname or related to one of the Tribes of Galway from around the world to march in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Galway on Sunday 17th March 2013.
As a participant in St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Galway participants will march through the centre of the medieval City, a 2.5 km (1.5 mile) journey through narrow cobbled streets, turning onto long, wide streets. The magical atmosphere created by the Galway Festival attracts up to 70,000 people every year, who line the narrow streets of the medieval city.
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40 members of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts will march in the St Patricks Day Parade which will take place in Galway on Sunday 17th of March 2013.
The Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts is a military Company and has headquarters at historic Faneuil Hall, Boston, Massachusetts. In 2011, the Company travelled to Ireland and
met with the Irish President and the Irish military.
At least two times in the past fifteen years, a Company contingent has travelled to Galway City to march in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. This year, CPT Colella will have a contingent of 40 members of the Company who will travel to Galway to march in the parade.
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Castlegar Camogie Club – All Ireland intermediate club champions 2013 will walk in the Parade.
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We will have a number of local GAA clubs in the Parade again this
year. Some of these will include: Liam Mellows GAA Club which was
founded in 1933 and celebrates its 80 birthday this year. The club
caters for boys and girls from ages of 4 and upwards and train in
Ballyloughane, Renmore from 7-8pm every Friday night. Hurls and
helmets are provided.
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The Barna GAA Girls U9 and U10 which will have approximately 25 girls
displaying Gaelic football skills of a very high standard. Many of
these girls only kicked a ball for the first time last year. They are
improving all the time and hope other girls their age will take up
sport of whatever kind. Well done girls and keep up the great work!
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Foroige’s youth service ‘Galway City Youth Café’ is collaborating with all youth groups throughout the city and county to design and construct flags to represent the 14 Tribes of Galway. The Tribes of Galway (Treibheanna na Gaillimhe) were fourteen merchant families who dominated the political, commercial, and social life of the city of Galway in western Ireland between the mid-13th and late-19th centuries. They were the families of Athy, Blake, Bodkin, Browne, D’Arcy, Deane, Font, French, Joyce, Kirwan, Lynch, Martyn, Morris and Skerrett. Foroige participants created these flags across the city in the various youth clubs, groups and the Galway City Youth Cafe.
Youth groups and Leaders will walk in the parade holding colourful flags created in their youth clubs. The Flags will be brightly coloured and will have the crests of the 14th tribes spray painted on them.
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This year, Scoil Bhríde Mionloch will bring alive the historical story of the “Slí na gCaisleán” (the cycle heritage trail of Seven Galway Castles).
The Ballinfoile Mór Community Organic Garden and Conservation Volunteers Terryland Forest Park will work with other city organic garden groups to develop the theme of “Galway’s Green Army”. Castlegar Primary school will have an army of scarecrows walking in the Parade.
The Cumman na bhFear (Men’s Shed) will repair and have ready a fleet of “High Nelly bicycles”.
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Galway Community Circus will be attending St Patrick’s Parade with a theme connected to the story Children of Lir featuring (Galway) swans, kings and queens.
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Scoil Bhride Shantalla has a strong tradition of partaking in the parade. It is part of the school and community tradition. The children, parents and staff have been very busy preparing for this year. They have used the Galway Hooker and the tradition of fishing as their historical theme. The school come from the historical area of Shantalla where Daniel O’Connell visited in the 19th Century.
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The Cladonian Mariners Community Boat Club is the only local boat club in the Claddagh which teaches people the finer points of sailing sail making net fixing knots and first aid.
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Playground Circus are a group of Galway based circus – theatre performers and Jugglers, partly graduates from Circomedia Circus school in Bristol and NUIG Juggling society members. They will be clowny versions of old Galway characters (paddy hats and tweed/ Galway shawl style, white face paint), juggling to the crowd in Solos, with some synchronised group juggling parts and some audience interactions.
