St Patrick's Day parade prepares to return to Tipperary's largest town

Above: Looking forward to the parade in Clonmel on St Patrick’s Day are, from left, St Patrick’s Day committee members Pat English, Aidan Fennessy, Michelle Aylward, District Mayor Michael Murphy, parade grand marshal Danny Carroll and Carol Creighton. Picture: John D Kelly

The St Patrick’s Day Committee has been working away for the past few weeks getting ready for this year’s St Patrick’s Day Parade in Clonmel.
The committee is delighted to have Danny Carroll as the grand marshal for the day.
Danny Carroll, also known as Clonmel’s Mr Music Man, has worked with numerous musical societies in Tipperary including St Mary’s Choral Society in Clonmel as well as in Thurles, Tipperary, Carrick-on-Suir, Nenagh and Dundrum.
He is also involved with such diverse musical activities as Banna Chluain Meala, the Tipperary Millennium Orchestra, the Premier Swing Band and the Clonmel Concert Band.
He is a six-time winner of the Association of Irish Musical Societies (AIMS) Best Musical Director Award, including winning the award three years in-a-row with Rock Nativity (1987: St Mary’s Choral Society, Clonmel); Fiddler on the Roof (1988: Carrick-on-Suir Musical Society) and Man of La Mancha (1989: St Mary’s Choral Society, Clonmel).
Danny Carroll has also won the Best Musical Director Award at the Waterford International Festival of Light Opera on two occasions with Carrick-on-Suir Musical Society.
He was a founder of Banna Chluain Meala in 1971 (also known as Clonmel Youth Marching Band), which continues to prosper and for which he continues as assistant musical director, having been musical director for 30 years. He has also been the musical director of the Clonmel Concert Band since its formation in 2011, which is the senior section whose members are almost all former Banna members. Danny has led the Clonmel Concert Band to great success in performances with various choirs and soloists in Clonmel, Fethard, Thurles, Bagenalstown and further afield, and also competing with great success at the annual South of Ireland Band Championships in Clonakilty.

St Patrick’s Day in Clonmel will commence with a flag-raising ceremony at St Patrick’s Well at 8.30am. The morning parade leaves Mitchel Street at 11.30am for St Mary’s Church Mass at 12 noon, which will be celebrated in Irish.
The morning parade, which will be led by Banna Chluain Meala will include the grand marshal, councillors and dignitaries.
The starting area for the St Patrick’s Day Parade, which commences at 3pm on Thursday March 17, is Irishtown and it will follow the same route through the town centre as in previous years to finish in Parnell Street outside the Town Hall.
Any groups wishing to participate can do so up until Friday March 11 by going online to https://www.countytipperarychamber
.com/.
Complete the form and submit it to County Tipperary Chamber of Commerce.
For further details, contact Carol Creighton, Clonmel Borough District at 081-8065869.
The first prize for best parade entry is €500, the second prize is €300 and the third prize €200. For shop owners in the town there will be three top prizes for the best dressed window display for St Patrick’s Day.

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