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Happy St. Pa;trick's Day to all our readers

Bernadette Forde

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated all over the world and we hope wherever you are that you are celebrating and having a wonderful day with family or friends. Thankfully, it will be different this year as the Covid restrictions are for the most part, a thing of the past.

International Parades

St. Patrick’s Day is special to me, as it is my Dad’s birthday, and I have very special memories of all the huge international parades in Limerick city where I grew up. My brother, sisters and I enjoyed a birds eye view of the parades as my Dad had an office facing on to O’Connell St, where the parades took place.

Every St. Patrick’s day, as a special treat, we were brought into the office, the window was opened and we enjoyed the spectacle of the passing parade without fear of rain or wind. How lucky were we!

Barnaderg parades

However, the parades that will live in my memory forever are our own local parades. The joy and the craic getting ready for them; the community spirit that was involved; everybody lending their skills and vehicles to anyone and everyone; trying to come up with an idea; will we bother? Thankfully we did and it culminated in a wonderful parade every year for many years.

Afterwards the coming together in the community centre with the St. Patrick’s Day parade committee providing hot tea and coffee and refreshments and of course the prizegiving. All these activities of course were backed by our local business people and thanks to them and the committee for providing us all with such fun and laughter through the years.

You will get a flavour of the parades through the photos accompanying this article – Enjoy!!