With clubs, organisations and businesses from across the Mitchelstown community and surrounding areas getting ready to take part in this year’s St Patrick’s Day parade, it looks like the town is set for another big event.

The annual parade is run by the Festival of the Galtees committee and they are urging all groups, organisations and clubs to get involved and be part of the parade free of charge. There will be prizes and trophies for different categories and it is a great way to be a part of the local community.

The parade will leave the Church of Ireland on George’s Street at 1pm on St Patrick’s Day before going down Church Street, down Upper and Lower Cork Street, up Baldwin Street and back up by George’s Street before finally proceeding into New Square via King Street.

This year’s grand marshall is William Piggott and he will be ably assisted by the King of the Galtees, Michael Creed. The committee would like to thank Jim Skinner who carried out this duty for a number of years.

The committee are hoping for fine weather on the day and chairperson Michael White thanked Sgt Dunne and the Gardai, Tom and Ann Roche of Roche’s Cycles who facilitate the sound system, the committee members who have worked hard to make the parade a success and everyone who is supporting it.

To get the businesses involved in the build up to the parade, there will also be competitions for the publicans and business people and these will be judged on Saturday, March 15 before the parade on the following Monday.

The MBA have kindly sponsored the window display competition with two categories for the Best Dressed Window and Best Irish Themed Window.

For the publicans there will also be a Best Interior Decorations and Best Dressed Window category.

The best overall winner will also win a 7″x3 column advert in The Avondhu.