Two community champions to be honoured at Offaly parade

TWO long serving members of Tullamore St Patrick's Day Parade committee are to be honoured at this year's parade in the Offaly county town.

Johnny O'Connor and Sean O'Brien were members of the founding committee that established Tullamore's St Patrick's Day Parade 40 years ago in 1983.

Both men have served on the committee since then and their colleagues felt it was only fitting that they be honoured by being named joint Grand Marshalls for this year's parade.

Sean currently serves as Secretary and PRO of the organising committee while Johnny is the parade's Safety Officer and Chief Steward who plays a key role behind the scenes.

From humble beginnings in the early 1980s the parade has now grown to be one of the biggest and most successful in the Midlands.

For many years the local branch of the Irish National Foresters and members of St Colmcille's Pipe Band marched through the town centre but there was no organised parade.

That changed when Johnny, Sean and a number of other like minded individuals got together and organised the town's first parade in 1983.

Among others on the first committee were the late Kevin O'Toole, representing the Foresters, the late Syl Shelley, a member of St Colmcille's Pipe Band, Declan Kirrane, still happily with us, then a leading light in Junior Chamber and the late musical maestro Sean Gilligan.

“There was a general feeling at the time that Tullamore as a big town should have a parade to mark the national day,” stressed Sean.

Johnny has served as Chief Steward of the parade since day one and also represents Civil Defence at the annual spectacle. The Durrow man is also the parade's Safety Officer.

“We were both very honoured to be selected as Marshalls. In fact both of us were flabbergasted. We had other ideas about who should be honoured but it was great to selected by our colleagues on the parade committee,” said Johnny.

Both volunteers paid tribute to the business people of the town for their loyal sponsorship over the years which makes the parade possible. They also paid tribute to the parade's main sponsor, Offaly County Council who also provide much needed personnel on parade day.

Sean and Johnny also thanked the local Gardai for their assistance and Des Henry and Ravenhill Couriers whose firms supply the lorries for the review stands each year.

Of course, stressed both committee members, the parade could not take place without all its participants and the thousands of onlookers who descend on Tullamore's main thoroughfares.

This year's parade promises to be a great spectacle with no less than five bands taking part, including the Army Band from Athlone Barracks.