Well another St. Patrick’s weekend in Kinsale has come to an end and what a weekend it was!! Festivities started with the Maritime Parade in Kinsale on Saturday evening with entertainment for children, music from DJ Anthony Collins of White Lady & Glastonbury fame, and the legend that is Timmy O’Donovan acting as MC. Wild gales and torrential rain earlier in the day looked like putting a damper on proceedings but all our prayers were answered with a beautiful dry but cold evening on the Pier Head! The committee was delighted that RTE News chose to come to Kinsale to film our unique Maritime Parade from both land and sea and Kinsale did not disappoint! Over 20 boats of all shapes and sizes took part in the Parade of Light, with a great turn-out from Kinsale Yacht Club, and Kinsale Outdoor Education Centre also providing wonderful colour as they escorted St. Patrick to the Pier Head to oversee events! What a magical sight it was to see the beautifully lit boats sailing into the harbour in front of the huge crowds which gathered at every viewing point from Charles Fort to The Dock and everywhere in-between! A spectacular fireworks display provided a fitting finale to the night! Prize giving followed in Kinsale Yacht Club.
On St. Patrick’s Day itself Kinsale was bathed in sunshine and blue skies once more! Grand Marshals Pam Norris and Maureen Judge were greeted at the Parish Church for the annual Blessing of the Shamrock with traditional Irish music by local Comhaltas children. After which they attended the prize giving of the Children’s Art Competition in Kinsale Tourist Office sponsored by Salvi’s Café.
Children waiting for the Parade to start were thrilled with free face-painting, balloon modelling and an ice-cream van sponsored by First South Credit Union! The main event, the Street Parade, kicked off at 3pm sharp, to the delight of the spectators lining the streets of Kinsale. The theme for this year’s parade was ‘Think Green’ to coincide with Green Week taking place at Kinsale College all this week. Over 40 entries took part in what was truly a community event for all ages. It was wonderful to see so many individuals and groups involved. A prize giving ceremony was held afterwards at the Trident Hotel.
Well done to everyone who was involved over the two days, a big shout-out to all the volunteers who assist with stewarding and decorating the town for the weekend, and an extra special thanks to all the sponsors whose generosity enables the Parades to go ahead each year. The full list of prize winners and sponsors will be published at a later date.
Looking forward already to next year!
Grand Marshall of the 2019 Kinsale St. Patrick's Day parade was the Chernobyl Childrens Project represented by Maureen Judge and Pam Norris.
Picture. John Allen
