Best ever parade promised in Offaly town

Friday is the day Clara has been waiting for and the St Patrick's Day parade is shaping up to be the best yet. With RTE covering the event a large crowd is expected.

The festivities will start off with a concert in the square at 11.30am with music and dancing. Fr Joe the dancing clergy man will be stepping out along with the Durrow and Rahan dancers.

Entertaining the crowd will be singers Alex Roe and Theresa O'Hara. Ceili music will be provided by James Kinsella Ceili Band.

Tommy Stones will sing the National Anthem while MC will be Barry Flynn assisted by his sons Adam and Aaron.

Catch Grennan, described by organiser Bertie McMahon as ''the most loved milkman that came into the Green in Clara from1954 to 1963 is to be honoured, ''as a token of appreciation I am honouring him for all the beautiful memories. He was a great character,'' said Bertie.

Aoife Dolan will also be honoured, Aoife started to play rugby with Tullamore under 16s in 2019. She was selected to play with Leinster U18 Ladies in 2022. Aoife was then invited to train with the Irish Ladies team in May 2022 and travelled to Japan where she won her first two international caps. She scored a try on her international debut. She was then picked to play with Leinster women in January and won player of the match in her first Leinster game vs Connacht.

Aoife was voted Leinster's Players, 'Player of the Year' after the inter provincial series. In addition she was selected to play with the Irish combined Provinces in February and played against Wales and Scotland. She has been picked to play with Ireland in the Ladies Six Nations tournament that begins on March 25