Invitation to all to come celebrate St. Patrick's weekend in Fermoy
This year the St Patrick's Day Parade committee in Fermoy is asking all in the area to come join in The Gathering. Events are being organised for Saturday, March 16th on the streets of Fermoy.
Speaking to The Avondhu, festival secretary Donal O'Lochlainn said it is is a very simple, inexpensive and novel idea.
"What will happen is as follows: After 7.30pm Mass on the Saturday evening the people will take a walk down town in Fermoy, down memory lane, so to speak. They will be dressed in their 'Sunday best'. Anyone on the streets, dressed up, is signalling that they are open to a chat and a bit of craic. It's an opportunity for all to catch up on who is home and to meet and greet old friends."
"All of the participants in last year's parade have been written to and encouraged to contact past pupils, past members, family and friends to come back to the area for the weekend. The committee have no real tangible way of knowing who will return and it will probably only be discovered through stories and anecdotes in the coming weeks," treasurer Diarmuid Gowen added.
To this end, the committee is embarking on two initiatives. The first is local intelligence through their website www.fermoypatricksday.com. Anyone who knows of anyone returning to the area from overseas is asked to register them as visitors on the website with contact details.
John Murphy, chairman of the committee, added: "The second thing we are doing is, all who are registered will be invited to the Comhaltas Seisun to be held in the Elbow Lane Inn on the Saturday night before the parade. At this seisun there will be a group photograph, a presentation to the overseas visitors and a raffle with super prizes for all eligible visitors."
All of the Saturday evening activities are in addition to the parade which takes place on Sunday, March 17th at 11 am from the usual place at Cavanagh's Garage, Cork Road.
Published:
Friday 8th March 10:16am
