2008 Archive
Registration for the 2008 St. Patrick's Day Parade is now closed.
The 2008 St. Patrick's Day Parade will take place on Monday 17th March.
The parade will start at 12.30.
St Patrick's Night Céilí
A night of Breton and Irish Music and dance, featuring visiting pipe bands as well as dance groups from Brittany. This is the fourth year of this hugely successful event, which merges the highly popular communal dance of Brittany with the lively Céilà music and dance of the other Celtic countries.
For more visit the Town Hall Theatre website
Tom Feeney is announced as Parade Guest of Honour
Mr. Tom Feeney of St. Patrick's Brass Band has been announced as the Guest of Honour for the 2008 St. Patrick's Day Parade, which takes place on Monday 17th March at 12.30.
Mr. Feeney, born in Palmyra Park in 1927, has marched in the St. Patrick's Day Parade more than 48 times and it is only in recent years that he has been unable to lead the band. St. Patrick's Brass Band celebrates 200 years in existence this year and they have been invited to lead the parade behind their former bandleader and parade Guest of Honour, Mr. Feeney.
Tom Feeney is the Honorary Life President of St. Patrick's Brass Band.
Caroline Conlon, Parade Director
Tribal Fever for St. Patrick's Day
The names Blake, Joyce, Lynch and Skerritt are but a few of the tribes that will take part in this year's St. Patrick's Day Parade as tribal fever takes over the city.
Esther and Chris Okeke with Musbau Foley and Ademola Adelowo from the Nigerian Association of Galway in traditional Nigerian dress getting warmed up for the St Patrick's Day Parade
The theme of this year's parade is Tribes and groups have interpreted the theme in many different and interesting ways. Watch out for the Traditional Nigerian Tribe from the Association of Nigerians in Galway, Bog People from Macnas, a Norse Tribe and boat from the Galway Traveller Movement and a full tribe of St. Patricks and snakes from the Brothers of Charity.
Other highlights will include our local Brass Bands, St. Patrick's and the Patricians and numerous drumming groups from around the city. Amongst the newcomers to the 2008 parade are the Galway Irish Polish Community, the Spark Community Project and Amnesty International.
Visiting groups for this year are a troop of French marines from the ship "Pluvier" and a traditional Breton music and dance group, both from Galway's twin city Lorient. There will also be a joint entry from a new twinning project between young women from Foróige Ballybane/ Dougiska and Bradford, they will present together their very own tribe.
Artistic Director, Eilís Nic Dhonncha said, "We are delighted with the amount of hard work and creativity that has gone into this year's parade. Rather than have a choreographed themed section, as was the case in the past few years, this year we gave all groups the option of participating in the overall theme of Tribes and this has worked wonderfully. Many groups have really risen to the challenge and have produced a wide variety of tribes of all shapes and sizes. We would like to thank, in particular, Tara Bhreathnach who has designed and made many of the costumes and Macnas who have facilitated some of the groups with space and assistance for costume, float and prop-making. Special thanks also goes to Foróige, Galway City Council and Bradford Youth Service for making the twinning project a success."
The Route of the 2008 St. Patrick's Day Parade
If you have any queries regarding the parade please visit our contact page.
Ballybane Girls are Bradford Bound
Monday 11th February 2008
Young women from Foróige Ballybane Doughiska will reawaken the twinning between Galway and Bradford this year. The group, who normally operate as a sports group, have swapped their jerseys for costumes and will take to the streets with a group from Bradford to form a street theatre entry for the upcoming Galway St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
The girls will travel to Bradford later this month to meet their twins, a group of young women from the Bradford suburbs of Queensbury and Thornbury. There, they will have arts workshops together in preparation for the parade and visit Bradford and it's surroundings. The Bradford girls will then come to Galway in March where both groups will present their entry together for the St. Patrick's Day Parade.
Gráinne Hoey from Foróige has said that "The girls are extremely excited about the project and are thoroughly looking forward to the trip, for some of the girls it will be their first time ever abroad." Foróige wish to thank Galway & Bradford City Councils for enabling them to undertake this "grass roots" twinning project.
Galway has been twinned with Bradford since 1986 and it is hoped that this project will be the first of many to come.
Be a part of the Parade with Colours Carnival Club
Colours Street Theatre Company will run a series of carnival workshops at the Galway City Museum every Saturday from 26th January to 15th March ’08. Participants will gear their creations and skills towards participation in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 17th.
Activities will include the creation of tall puppets, costumes and masks. The carnival club will also teach circus skills such as juggling, plate spinning, stilt walking, diablo and devil stick.
The workshops are designed to be accessible, educational and enjoyable. Anyone above the age of eleven is invited to participate and the cost for the 8-week course is 50 euro.
For further information or to book a place, please contact:
Galway City Museum - 091 532460