Offaly village to punch above its weight with one of county's biggest parades

Johnny Butterfield and friends marching in last year's parade

placeholder image — Johnny Butterfield and friends marching in last year's parade

Eight different categories for this Monday's St Patrick's Day Parade in Mountbolus

Plans are underway for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Mountbolus. The categories for entries are defined. The time is set. The judges are ready. Now is the time to make your plans to be there.

Categories in which prizes will be awarded for entries are Best School Presentation, Best Group Display or Float, Fancy Dress, Vintage Vehicle, Vintage or Historic Group/Float, the Environment, Most Original, and Most Exceptional. The Over-all winner will be selected from the winner of the 8 categories.

If you want to get into the action with Current Events, your entry could be considered Exceptional, Environmental, or of course, Historic, because what is current today is history tomorrow.

The Mountbolus Parade is scheduled to start at 11.00. Parade entries are to begin assembling outside Newton’s at the top of the hill coming into Mountbolus at 10.00. All entries from schools, clubs, community organisations, and individual families and groups of friends are welcome, so put on your thinking caps and start planning. The community working together can make this the best Mountbolus parade ever.

Hot drinks and snacks will be available in Killoughey Community Centre following Mass in Mountbolus and the beginning of the parade. Refreshments and Hot Dinners will be served in the Beehive following the parade and throughout the afternoon.

The committee are looking forward to seeing all the entries. Good luck to everyone with their exhibits. The committee extends an invitation to all of Killoughey and surrounds, if you are not in the parade, come and support those that are, and have an enjoyable morning. Help make the morning more enjoyable. If you have a Child of Prague statue, put it in the garden. Dry weather will make the parade all the more enjoyable.