In time honoured tradition, St Patrick’s Day will be celebrated right around the Avondhu region with parades, showcasing community and business life in the area’s towns and villages.

Fermoy’s parade will get underway at 11am on St Patrick’s Day, starting from Cavanagh’s Garage on the Cork Road. Jim Lysaght is this year’s grand marshal. He will lead a lively cavalcase representing the town and area’s musical talent, clubs, sporting organisations and community groups, as well as showcasing local businesses.

Fermoy Concert Band will be there, so too will the Thomas Kent Pipe Band. There will be floats galore, vintage cars and plenty of marching groups to provide lively family entertainment.

28 groups are already registered to take part. There’s still time for anyone who’d like to participate and entries don’t close until 11am on Sunday.

The Mitchelstown parade is set to be another big one, as clubs, organisations, businesses and groups are all set to follow the lead of the grand marshal, William Piggott.

The parade will start at the Church of Ireland on George’s Street at 1pm sharp, making its way down Church Street, up the main street and back up George’s Street to finish in the Square.

Businesses and pubs are also being encouraged to get involved in the competitions for the ‘best dressed window’, ‘Best Irish themed window’, ‘best interior decorations’ and ‘best dressed window’ for the pubs. These will be judged on Saturday.

The main road will also be closed for the parade from 12.45pm until after the final presentations.

The Ballylanders parade will begin at 3pm and will feature clubs, organisations and groups from across the community.

Those taking part are asked to assemble in the Tonedale Bedding Car Park from 2pm. The Voice of Ireland 2013, Keith Hanley will provide the musical entertainment along with some guests and there will be a delicious barbecue in the village park afterwards.

Ballyporeen will get in ahead of the rest with some St Patrick’s Eve celebrations with a ceili in the hall on Sunday night and the parade will take place the following day, starting at 3pm. There will be a number of prizes for the best floats, individuals and walking groups and it promises to be a great family day out.

Cappoquin has been running a parade for the past six years and the number of entries has grown. It now attracts clubs and organisations from across west Waterford and beyond. The parade will begin at 12.30 on St Patrick’s Day at Lower Main Street and continue up the main street, turning at Shanbally and returning to the town centre.

They have prizes for different categories, for the best decorated business premises and residence and a prize too for the ‘spectator with the most festive dress’. The parade will be led by a marching band of local children who have been busy practising for weeks now. The town is already looking very festive, with tricolour bunting decorating the street.