Laois locals are abuzz with excitement ahead of St Patrick's Day this year, with dozens of parades and festivals taking place across the country.

Rathdowney's St Patrick's Day parade committee have promised an array of exciting activities on the day of their parade. This is the fifth year of the parade's return to the town, spearheaded by its dedicated committee and local volunteers.

The theme this year is 'My Hometown', or 'Mo Bhaile Dúchas', a reflection of the town's community spirit.

"We began preparations for this year's event at the end of January, so far we have had 60 groups and floats register for the parade, we're thrilled," committee co-chair Mary Hennessy told the Leinster Express / Laois Live.

"We are delighted to have Dawn Meats as our main sponsor, and are so thankful for the generosity from local businesses in donating prizes for our raffles. Our St Patrick's Day Village has been organised in conjunction with Rathdowney Arts Group (RAG), sponsored by Alanna's Pooch Parlour," Ms Hennessy explained.

This year, the committee will be running an exciting 'Monster Raffle', featuring two cash prizes of €500 each. This raffle was sponsored by Danny Campion, an expatriate living in London who wished to give back to his hometown this St Patrick's Day.

"We are so thrilled with Danny's generosity, it was such a kind gesture," the co-chair said.

There will also be eight cash prizes available for those partaking in the parade on the day, under a variety of categories.

"There are two prizes for the most creative float, the first prize is €300 and the Kieran O'Sullivan Perpetual Trophy. The second prize is €200, with both prizes kindly sponsored by Brian McCartney," Ms Hennessy explained.

"There will be a prize of €300 for the most creative adult in fancy dress, sponsored by Lachlan Delaney. The prize for the most creative juvenile in fancy dress is €100, sponsored by The Brewery bar and café," she said.

Uniquely, there is even a category for the most creative fancy dress pet, with €100 up for grabs sponsored by Bubbles and Bowes in Shanahoe.

See pictures of last year's St Patrick's Day parade in Rathdowney here.

"The best dressed business window will receive €200, sponsored by Corcoran's bar. For the best dressed domestic window, Midland Hardware have sponsored a cash prize of €300," Ms Hennessy continued.

The final prize is for the best interview with the event's MC Michael Cleere, which is a €100 cash prize sponsored by O'Malley's Bar.

"We are delighted to announce that this year's Grand Marshall of the parade is Pat Delaney, who earned the Laois Hall of Fame award last November," the chairperson praised.

One unique tradition in Rathdowney's parade is that they have three generations of St Patrick taking part: Kieran O'Loughlin, his son Mark O'Loughlin, and Mark's son Jake O'Loughlin.

Pictured left: Mark O'Loughlin and his son Jake. Right: Mark O'Loughlin's father Kieran. Photos: Nicola Ryan

"It's amazing to have the three generations of one family walking in the parade as St Patrick, it's a very heartwarming thing to see," Ms Hennessy said.

The town square will be transformed into St Patrick's Village, featuring plenty of fun for all the family. 

There will be pop up tents around the square and music from The Deere Johns. There will be live Irish dancing on stage from Clare Daly's School of Dance, and the local women's football group Mothers and Others have promised to perform a siege of Ennis. Guests of honour on the day are Pat and Maryanne Delaney.

"Michelle's Cakes and Bakes will also be providing free cake decorating classes, with the ingredients kindly sponsored by Breslin's Supervalu," Ms Hennessy highlighted.

"There will be also be live music, a Lego tent for children, face painting, a bubble tent, a colouring tent and much more," she said.

The committee wished to thank Rathdowney locals for all their support, praising the town's willingness to support local events and initiatives.

"From sign printing to traffic management, our committee members and volunteers are fantastic. Local businesses and individuals have been extremely generous in their donations towards the cash prizes," Ms Hennessy said.

"It's a huge buzz on the day to see people out and enjoying the event, it's a lot of hard work that goes into a few hours," Ms Hennessy said.

"There's a massive amount of effort into sourcing prizes, setting up, and then taking it all down and putting the square back together afterwards. It's all worth it when you see the looks on the kids faces, it's all for them," she said.

"We ensure that St Patrick's Village provides only free activities, and we have no stalls selling things. Our ethos is about the children having fun and taking part, where parents don't have to worry about the costs."

"We really would like to thank everyone for their support and sponsorships, it's fantastic to have the parade in the town and to see the whole community come out to support it.

Read Next: Drones and drugs seized at prisons in Portlaoise

"There's a pride people take in our hometown, we need to celebrate Rathdowney. We're a small community, but we all pull together," Ms Hennessy finished.

For more updates and news on Rathdowney's St Patrick's Day parade and family festival, keep an eye on their Facebook page.