With the return of the first St. Patrick’s Day Parade to Waterford since 2019, local community, sporting, musical and entertainment groups are getting ready to put their best feet forward.
With dozens of registrations received from groups to participate in the Waterford parade on March 17th preparations are well underway to wow spectators along the parade route.
Johnny Codd, Festival Co-ordinator says the response from community groups to take part in the Parade has been great. “The registrations are coming in every day from groups throughout the city, county and even further afield. I think most have missed out on the fun of the parade over the last two years, so this year is the perfect opportunity to dig out the face-paint, the sparkles and the bunting.”
Some of the groups to have registered so far include Soul Dance Arts, Waterford’s newest and youngest stage school. Led by Jack Cunningham, the group features a host of talented young people. Jack said “We cater to children of all abilities from the ages of 3 right up to 18, specialising in dance, drama and song, but we mainly focus on building confidence and making friends.”
“We will have a group of 30 people walking in the parade, and who knows we may even dance down the Quay. The students of SDA are thrilled to be walking in the Parade for the first time”.
The Waterford Malayalee Association will also walk in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The group consists of over 350 families, and will be represented by over 100 people in the parade. The Waterford Malayalee Association is a group of families from Southwest India with at least one front-line worker in each family. This group has been a vital part of providing care in health-settings around Waterford in UHW, Whitfield Clinic and most of the nursing homes throughout the City and County.
Bobby Iype from Waterford Malayalee Association commented that “Our whole group are counting down the days until we walk together in the St. Patricks Day Parade in Waterford. Celebrating our culture with floats and pageantry is a huge part of our culture in South West India, and this special day gives us a chance to come together as a community in our adopted home of Waterford”. He added, “We love Waterford, and St. Patricks Day is a great opportunity for us to celebrate with the larger Waterford community”.
The Waterford St. Patrick’s Day parade will start at 1pm, with entries gathering at the Bridge Street end of the Quay. The parade begins at the Waterford Bus Station and will proceed along the Quay, past the Clock Tower and the Plaza, moving around to the Mall.
There will also be an online streaming of the Parade, so those who cannot attend or remain cautious about attending large events can still enjoy the celebrations.
To find out more details of the St. Patricks Day Parade and three day festival in Waterford visit www.stpatricksfestivalwaterford.com or keep an eye on ‘Waterford St Patricks Day Parade’ on social media channels.
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