Photos: Denis Byrne
THE Craic was Mighty in Portlaoise today, with a huge parade followed by music, dancing and children’s entertainment livening up the streets to celebrate St Patrick’s Day.
Some of the floats in the parade include UN Veterans, Vintage displays from Tony Dunne, Ballinakill, Raheen and Knock Vintage Clubs; Portlaoise GAA; Clonad GAA; Portlaoise Soccer Club; Fossey Mountain Range; Laois African Support Group; Golden Ravens from Timahoe; Civil Defence; Ukrainian Support Group and Laochra Laois.
A community event on Main Street after the parade featured street acts and lots of other entertainment, with bands including the AJs, the Finns and Frank’s Country and Western All Stars. MCs Christy Bannon and Paul Downey uplifted the crowds at the top and lower squares with their own unique brand of entertainment.
The committee are grateful to all local businesses and communities who helped make it a memorable event, including Laois County Council, Portlaoise Publicans, Downtown Portlaoise and Portlaoise Tidy Towns.
The St Patrick’s Day committee included: Chairperson and Events Co-Ordinator Dominic Dunne; Secretary Pauline Flanagan; Treasurer Eugene McDonough; Paul Downey; Christy Bannon; Frank Ward; PJ Kavanagh; Wayne Haslam; Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald and Noel Tuohy.
See lots more photos from the parade in Portlaoise and towns and villages across the county in the next edition of the Laois Nationalist, in shops and online on Tuesday 21 March
Darragh, Ben, Sarah and Jamie Smith
Abbie Thompson
Ali, Alannah and Fiona Hyland
