GREEN SCENE 2018: Your guide to all Meath's St Patrick's Day parades and events

Communities across Meath are gearing up for their annual extravagant Saint Patrick's Day parades with some events moved back to facilitate the Ireland England Grand Slam showdown at 3pm. Get out and show your support before the rugby. If you are out and about, make sure you wrap up good and warm as temperatures are set to plummet overnight. According to Met Eireann, "St. Patrick's Day will be a cold and windy day that will continue to get colder through the afternoon with scattered showers progressively turning more wintry. Highs of only 4 to 7 degrees. Blustery easterly winds will add a significant wind chill."

Ashbourne

The parade will commence an hour earlier than usual, starting at 1.30pm. It will follow its usual route with community groups congregating at the Lidl car park and commercials from Donaghmore Ashbourne GAA Club before marching down Declan Street, right on to Frederick Street, right again to pass by Tesco, right onto Killegland Street and then returning to the Lidl Car Park. The theme, decided on by Ashbourne Community School is 'Dreams'. Festivities will continue from 12 noon to 6pm with  a funfair, market and entertainment. Road closures will be in place from 1.30pm to 2.30pm only and local busineses will be open as usual. 

Athboy

Athboy's annual St Patricks Day parade will host its 34th parade on Saturday 17th of March at 12.30pm, all businesses, clubs and schools are welcome to take part in this years theme of "Explosion of Colour". There will also be cash prizes on the day for four categories, "Most creative youth group", "Best interpretation of this years theme", "Best showcase of a sporting club" and "Most entertaining traditional entry".

Ardee

The Ardee Parade will be led off by the Ardee concert Band at 3pm and will start at the northern end of the town at the Fairgreen.
Local chemist, Colman O'Flynn, will be the Grand Marshall. His family have been in business in Ardee for over 80 years and he has been involved in promoting start up businesses in the town for years.
The parade, which will feature at least five bands will proceed through the town past the reviewing stand in Castle Street and sweets will be handed out to children.

Enfield

This year Enfield's traditional start time of 3pm has been brought back to 1pm so as not to clash with the Ireland-England rugby match.  It will start from the vicinity of the GAA grounds as usual and the reviewing stand is outside Innfield House.
The parade takes about an hour in total with lots of colourful floats and walking groupings. The Laurence Pipe Band is confirmed and organisers say there will be bout 50 floats this year including local schools, businesses and community groups.
This year marks the 10th year of Longwood Scouts taking part. 
That evening Enfield Comhaltas will host a traditional Irish session in Boggan's Bar, Rathcore, Enfield on St. Patrick's evening from 6pm until 9pm. Local and visiting musicians, singers, dancers and storytellers are welcome to participate. 

Kells
Join in on the streets of historic Kells for their parade on Saint Patricks Day, commencing at 1.30pm on the Cavan Road alongside Supervalu and finishing up at the Fair Green. Plenty of music and craic is promised as well as floats and walking groups as well as live music.

Kilcock

The Kilcock St Patrick's Day Parade starts at 1.30pm around Brownes Garage and finishes at Canal Bridge.. The committee ran a competition between the local national schools this year to pick the theme of the parade which is is 'Inspiration from our Imagination - Plastic Planet'. There will be two marching bands taking part along with various local organisations, businesses, schools, vintage vehicles and sports groups.
Prizes will be awarded in various categories such as best motorized, non-motorised, vintage and best shop window etc. Kilcock Business Association is holding a duck race in the canal directly after the parade and ducks can be bought at local retailers.
 

Kingscourt

The colourful Kingscourt Parade starts on the Dublin Road at 1pm and will proceed to Gilmore's Garage. The army will lead off the parade, followed by the Kingscourt Brass and Reed Band. There will be five bands participating altogether as well as floats and walking groups.

Navan

The Navan St Patrick's Day parade, which begins on the Trim Road at 2pm is part of the colourful Shamrock Festival, which started on Sunday and continues to next Sunday. The parade will feature 50 to 60 floats and a number of bands including St Mary's Silver Band, The Forresters Band and the Kentstown Band.
Also on Saturday there will be Aifreann Tradisiúnta at St Oliver's Church at 10am and there will be music at Kennedy Place from 12noon to 2.30 pm and in the Lantern and the Central during the afternoon. The festival started and will finish with a session in the Central, while an 'archive' of Traditional Music took place in Paddy Fitzsimons Lounge on Monday.
Tonight (Tuesday) Navan Singers Club will perform in The Lantern at 9pm and the late Paddy Pryle, founder of the festival will be remembered tomorrow night (Wednesday) in the Church of Ireland at 8 pm with songs, stories, recitations and music by organisations with whom Paddy was associated. There will also be a traditional session in The Lantern 9.30 pm and in Fox's of Skryne, 9.30 pm
Thursday will see traditional music in Navan Shopping Centre and Fox's of Flower Hill, as well as an Oiche Gaelach in Paddy Fitzsimons’ at 8.30pm.
Sadly, the much anticpiated fireworks diplay at Blackwater Park has had to be cancelled due to insurance reasons acccording to Navan Shamrock Festival Ctte.
Sessions in Teach na Teamhrach (Trim Road) and Clarke’s (formerly Beggy’s) will be happening over the weekend.

WATCH: Our facebook Live broadcast from the 2017 Navan parade

 

Oldcastle

The Oldcastle St Patrick's Day Parade starts at 12pm and proceeds around the town, returning to Gilson Park. It promises plenty of entertainment for all the family and the Credit Union Car Draw will be held  during the festivities.

Ratoath

In Ratoath, the parade sets off at 12pm from Corballis Shoping Centre and continues on to Ratoath GAA Club. Road closures will be in place from 11.30am to 1.30pm from Jamestown to the GAA club and from the Cemetery Cross to Irish Street. The parade will be lead by Ratoath Harps who are celebrating 50 years this year.
 

Slane

This year the Slane parade starts at 2pm at Slane National School and will proceed down the village and over to the Garda Station and library,
An army colour party will lead off the parade, followed by St Patrick himself and then the Malahide Pipe band. The parade will also feature the THI CHI dragons, Mickey and Minnie Mouse and Buzz Lightyear. There will be 25 Oompa Loompas with sweets for children. There are four golden tickets to be found around the village and if anyone is lucky enough to find one, they will receive a cash prize from Willie Wonka in Mimnagh's shop on the square.
There are also 20 doves of peace to release for locals who have passed away in the past year. There will be music by Peader Farrelly, Tom Kerrigan and Abbey Tully.  On St Patrick’s Day 2018 everyone is invited to a special event on the Hill of Slane to pray together for Ireland on the very spot where St Patrick lit the Easter Fire. The event begins at 5pm on 17th March with a Holy Mass celebrated by Bishop Michael Smith at 5.30pm followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. This is an outdoor event, so people should dress warm and feel free to bring a chair. For more information, contact the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal on (041) 983 0441.

Trim

Trim's parade gets under way at 3.30pm following the usual route from the Ring Road, up Patrick Street, down Emmet Street and Market Street before dispersing at Castle Street. There will be entertainment on Market Street before the parade from 2pm with Dance Force Academy, Carney School of Irish Dancing, Black Porter, Decibelles and Ballivor singer and songwriter Chris Leonard, who will perform his new single. The theme for this year’s Trim parade is the Irish language. 2018 marks Bliain na Gaeilge 2018 so the organising committee wants so see big, bold, beautiful Irish language used on signs, floats and windows.
Parade goers are being encouraged to go green- outfits, hats, flags, costumes- the more the better.
Chairperson, Derek Allen is appealing to all local groups to get involved and volunteers are also sought to help out on the day with stewarding. There will be a ceili from 8.30pm to 11.30pm that night in the Diocesan Hall with music by music by Glenside Ceili Band.

Don't forget to send you parade snaps and videos to news@meathchronicle.ie