LATEST: Organisers clarify reasons for holding St Patrick's Day Parade on March 16
The organising committee, Tipperary County Council and Tipperary Town Revitalisation Committee have moved to clarify the reasons for holding the parade on the 16th in a Press Statement issued by the parties.
Following the news that the St Patrick’s Day Parade is being held at 11am on Saturday, March 16, the organising committee, Tipperary County Council and Tipperary Town Revitalisation Committee have moved to clarify the reasons for holding the parade on the 16th in a Press Statement issued by the parties.
A spokesperson on behalf of the St Patrick’s Day Committee clarified that they had been approached with the news of a visiting Band from the US.
“We were delighted to be approached to collaborate with Tipperary County Council & The Revitalisation Committee in the exciting news of the visit and combining it with our local St Patrick’s Day Parade.
“While this means bringing the Parade forward to the 16th of March at 11am, we felt that this was an opportunity that we had to be involved in.
"As a committee who worked together very successfully last year, we look forward to bringing the Parade to our town once again.
"We are thrilled that our Parade will lead out the Mizzou Band bringing the event to a fantastic close.
"We are hopeful that everyone who comes tosee the Parade will stay in the town centre & visit some of our wonderful shops & services while they have the opportunity.
"The increased footfall should bring a great buzz to the town on what is a normal shopping day. In the meantime, we are putting a call out to volunteers to get involved and help in the days leading up to this exciting event & on the day itself,” said the spokesperson.
The statement goes on to say that there is huge excitement building in Tipperary Town with the news that the University of Missouri Marching Mizzou will visit Tipperary Town on Saturday, March 16 to march and perform alongside the CJ Kickham Brass & Reed Band as part of the Tipperary Town St Patrick’s weekend celebrations.
“The Marching Mizzou are expected to bring a 300 strong group of performers for the event. The performance in Tipperary Town promises to be a tremendous spectacle and a major event for the town and the region.
The Marching Mizzou’s marching song is a variation of the famous “It’s a long way to Tipperary” song written by Jack Judge, so the members are thrilled to have the opportunity to perform it in Tipperary Town, reads the statement.
It seems that this visit by the Band was in the pipeline since January 2023 with a notice on their webpage from then stating that they are “pleased to announce that Marching Mizzou has earned an invitation to perform in the 2024 St Patrick’s Festival Parade in Dublin, Ireland and Tipperary, Ireland.
Marching Mizzou previously travelled to Ireland in 2012, 2016, and was set to travel again in 2020 but was postponed due to Covid.
The initial news was not overly welcomed on social media as many questioned the reasons for the change from St Patrick’s Day to the previous day for the parade, the timing of 11am, and the lack of consultation with the business community or the general public.
The organisers hope that this clarification will allay the concerns expressed and that everyone will come together to enjoy a great spectacle.
Event co-ordinator Annemarie Ryan says that this is a day not to be missed.
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome the Marching Mizzou for the St Patrick’s Day celebrations and I want to thank the band and its members for accepting the invitation to play in Tipperary Town.
“I also want to acknowledge local stakeholders who have agreed to work together to make this a special day for Tipperary Town including our St Patrick’s Day Committee, Tipperary County Council, Tipperary Town Revitalisation, the CJ Kickham Brass & Reed Band and in particular An Garda Siochana, who have agreed to assist with traffic management. There is still a lot to do to ensure a smooth and safe event for all, but I am confident that this will be a memorable day for Tipperary Town residents and visitors alike,” concludes the councillor.
The Band will arrive in Ireland on Friday, March 15 and will firstly enjoy a panoramic tour of Dublin before a visit to EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum.
On Saturday, March 16 the University of Missouri Marching Band, will march up the main street in Tipperary Town in the St Patrick’s Day Parade at 11am. In the afternoon the Band will visit the Rock of Cashel.
On St Patrick’s Day the 17th, the Band will march in the Parade in Dublin.
The 18th will see the Band take a trip to Galway and the Cliffs of Moher and the 19th will be spent in Dublin with a visit to the Guinness Storehouse being part of the itinerary.
Their Irish visit will conclude when they depart from Dublin for Chicago on Wednesday 20th.
It has also been announced that Dee Morrissey, daughter of country music performer and promoter Billy Morrissey, will be
“Mistress of Ceremonies” for this year’s St Patrick’s Parade in Tipperary Town.
In a post on Facebook, Dee said that she was very honoured to be the very first ever “Mistress of Ceremonies” for the Parade.
“I’m really looking forward to welcoming the 300 strong University of Missouri Marching Mizzou Band to our town alongside lots of local floats and groups. It’s a day not to be missed,” concluded Dee.