Spectacular displays at North Westmeath St Patrick’s Day parade
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Joe Gavin from Mullingar lead the parade on St Patrick's Day.Image 2 of 24
Paddy McCabe Snr sang the national anthem on the reviewing stand.Image 3 of 24
John Gorman, grand marshal, for the North Westmeath St Patrick’s parade, raised the flag in Castlepollard.Image 4 of 24
Anne, Danny, John and Jake Morrissey at the parade.Image 5 of 24
Charlie Hyland, Amine Timoumi, Zach Timouni, Noah Bardon and Daithí Cleary on Sunday evening.Image 6 of 24
Ewa Oekiewicz, Corey Haverty and Kotryna Eidukeviciute in Castlepollard on Sunday.Image 7 of 24
Saoirse, Chris and Zoe Snow at the parade.Image 8 of 24
Joshuaq, Levi, Joba and Tolu Oundibe from Coole.Image 9 of 24
Liam and David McLoughlin from Castlepollard.Image 10 of 24
Aisling Boyle and Roisin Gleeson with Madge on Paddy's Day.Image 11 of 24
Donie Cassidy was the MC for the day.Image 12 of 24
Louis O'Hara, Grace O'Hara and Linda Davis from Kiltoom.Image 13 of 24
The Clan Na Gael U13 league and championship winning team.Image 14 of 24
The Lough Lene Set Dancers.Image 15 of 24
Olivia and James Doran doing sumo wrestling.Image 16 of 24
Gerard Kelly and Cora Shortall from Mullingar.Image 17 of 24
Cathal Dwyer and Aaron McNerney in Castlepollard.Image 18 of 24
Chantelle, James, and Rico Carroll on Sunday.Image 19 of 24
Geraldine Dunne, Deborah Walsh and Irene Lynch from Lir House in Castlepollard.Image 20 of 24
Callum Devine from Castlepollard.Image 21 of 24
Anthony and Raya Kelly from Castlepollard.Image 22 of 24
The staff and pupils from St Feichin’s NS, Fore.Image 23 of 24
John and Enda Moynihan from Castlepollard Community Games.Image 24 of 24
Casey Blake and Tadhg McKinney from Ringtown Hurling and Camogie Club.The theme Westmeath Through the Ages captured the imagination of clubs, schools, businesses, and individuals, who created a spectacular display of floats in this year’s North Westmeath St Patrick’s Day parade in Castlepollard.
It was one of the best attended St Patrick’s Day parades in the midlands. The town was thronged as the fabulous weather drew the crowds and added to the festivities, remarked a jubilant Donie Cassidy, who was master of ceremonies.
Donie is president of the parade committee and has been one of the main driving forces behind the parade for years,
The grand marshal was John Gorman, a native of Castlepollard, who was among the now celebrated battalion who fought at Jadotville in 1961. He was led by piper Joe Gavin. PJ Higgins from Moate was one of the flag bearers and he carried the flag of the Jadotville battalion.
The flags were draped at the reviewing stand and “you could hear a pin drop” as John Gorman saluted the flags as he took his place on the reviewing stand, Donie said.
Among those on the reviewing stand were Very Rev Patrick Moore, PP, Castlepollard, Very Rev Oliver Scally, PP, Coole/Whitehall, Cllr Paddy Hill, Cllr Frank McDermott, Deputy Robert Troy and Deputy Damien English.
The national anthem was sung once again by the legendary octogenarian Paddy McCabe, accompanied on banjo by his son Brian, who is chairman of Castlepollard Hurling Club.
It was a hugely uplifting event, which kicks off the start of the tourist season in style each year, Donie said. He was delighted at the effort the participants put in to the magnificent array of floats.
The floats depicted (among other things) the development of transportation from the wheel to the bike to the car. Another featured the progression from the stone age to turf cutting and the dawn of electricity. Another celebrated greats of the music world such as Count John McCormack, Joe Dolan, Foster and Allen and Niall Horan. The children, parents and teachers from Fore NS produced a collage of photographs from down the years.
There were also fabulous window displays in many of the business premises in the town. Murphy’s featured 100 years of CCÉ in the area, including the renowned Fore Ceili Band, Donie said.
PJ Kennedy was the main promoter of CCÉ in Castlepollard over the years and, now in his 80s, he was present at the parade. Twenty-seven young musicians from Lir CCÉ entertained the crowd prior to the parade. Lough Lene set dancers who are Leinster senior Scór champions also gave a fine performance.
A prize fund of €1,200 was sponsored by the local Credit Union and Mergon. The winners will be announced next Sunday at an event in the Castle Varagh Hotel in the town.
The parade organising committee include Donie Cassidy as president, chairperson Octavia Turlough, vice-chairperson Michael Comiskey, secretary Lorraine Scally, treasurers Sean Montgomery and Ted Fagan, and PRO Oliver McCormack.