St. Patrick’s Day Parade 2022
A beautiful day greeted Beara for this years St. Patrick’s day parade. The morning started with Bere Island Community Radio Broadcasting live in the Square and on 100.1 FM.
The lorry load of humanitarian aid bound for Ukraine arrived, at the stage at 10.30am as it got ready to set off on its long journey. Organised by Paul O Shea whose friend and mechanic Vicotor Frolov and his son Andrei and Halyna Andereychuk, Carol Murphy and Paddy O Sullivan wished driver Jason Quirke the best of luck and an emotional farewell. Paul and Victor would like to sincerely thanks everyone for their generosity.
At 2pm Aoife O Neill took to the stage to entertain the crowd as they waited for the parade to get under way.
The floats started to arrive down on the pier at 2.20pm. This is where the fun and last-minute preparations started to happen. The comradery, fun and banter is always lovely and traditional for St. Patrick’s day. As each float tries to win the bragging rights to the Over all winner of the parade.
Members of the IFA, Donal Kelly, John Joe O Sullivan and Donal Dan O Sullivan assigns each float a number.
The stewards, Brendan O Driscoll, Sean Cronin, Vince Murphy, Dominic Tietjen, and Brid Hanley.
Garda Caroline Guest headed off ahead of the parade.
At 3pm the Parade started led by Piper Etienne Baranger
Followed by members of the All Ireland winning team carrying the Tri Colour.
The floats followed and what a huge turn out it was by far the largest parade that has been held in Castletownbere as long as I’m involved over 27 years!!
The Voluntary section was the largest
The Horizon projects with their float of talented musicians, The Boat Club, The Ardgroom men’s group, Beara United FC
Walking Groups;
The Firebrigade, Castletownbere Coast Gurard, and RNLI
Business section
Dursey Boat Trips, Beara Boat Tours,
Senan O Connor, Sarah O Connor, Jim O Connor of ventage Point video
Commercial Group
Castletownbere Fishermen’s Co op
Mowi
Youth Groups
What a display from this category!! Huge work and effort goes in to this.
U13’s
Cahermore National School, Bere Island National School and Castletownbere National Schools and Castletownbere Gaa, and Adrigole Gaa
U6’s Eyeries Playgroup
U18 Beara Community School All Ireland Winners
Individuals
Liam Sheehan
A group of vintage cars also participated & Dave & Stevie Spathaky
A group of Americans for Richmond Virginia USA who arrived in Castletownbere also took part in the parade Bob Brant, Mark Shelby didn’t get the third name, they were delighted to be presented with a bowl of shamrock on behalf of the people of Castletownbere.
The parade proceeded through the town to the West End around the Bakery Square where the stewards had a hard time organising the floats to fit around as the parade was so big. The parade made it way back into the square where MC Martin Hegarty introduced each float to the huge crowd that gathered in the sunshine. Each float did their party piece.
Thanks to the Castletownbere Development Association members, Andrea Lotty, Dierdre Harrington, Aidan O Sullivan, who helped with the raffle and video on the day they along with Noel Ford, David Kelly Joanne O Shea, Vince Murphy, Sean Cronin, Brendan Driscoll who helped block off the square the night before! Your help was invaluable!!
A raffle was held to cove the cost of the parade with Murphy’s Super Value Sponsoring a fabulous 1st prize of a €200 hamper and the Castletownbere Development Association who sponsored two more prizes. Thank you for your support!!
Then Scoil Rince Carney took to the stage and gave a fantastic display of Irish dancing and entertained the crowd. I wish to thank Miah O Sullivan and his crew who built a lovely platform so the dancers could be seen.
The judges Sinead Cullen and Clare de Jong spent the time deliberating and trying to figure out who was going to take the spoils and to be fair they had a very tough job!!
In the end the following winner were announced
OVER ALL WINNER: Bere Island National School
Best Voluntary Float: Ardgroom’ Men’s Group
Best Business: Dursey Boat Trips
Best Commercial: Castletownbere’s Fishermen’s Co Op
Best Walking Group: Castletownbere Coast Guard
Best Music Float: Horizan Projects Caheremore
Best Individual: Ventage Point Video
Best Effort: Scoil an Chroi Naofa Castletownbere
U6 Group: Eyeries Playgroup
U13 Group: Cahermore National School
U18 Group: Bere Community School All Ireland Winning Team
A thanks also to Sandra O Shea despite being sick was always at the end of the phone to give me a helping hand if I needed it thanks a mil Sandra!!!
Until next year a huge thanks to everyone who helped me along the way. It was fantastic to walk up the town front of such a huge parade and see a massive crowd out enjoying the sunshine and freedom that we so missed over the last two years. Hope you enjoy the photos and I hope you all enjoyed the day .
Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir
Anne Marie Cronin
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The winning group below being presented with their prizes & some of more of the parade Thanks to Jennifer Cronin for these photos. No idea where she get her flair for photography from!!
The winning groups
Some of the dancers from Scoil Rince Carney by Jennifer