Galway Advertiser 1975/1975_03_20/GA_20031975_E1_001.pdf 

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W a r m hearts a n d spirits o n a cold St. Patrick's D a y
The day is cold but |ur hearts are w a r m " , aid the Minister for F i n knee, R i t c h i e R y a n , T . D . , is he praised the partici pants i n l a s t M o n d a y ' s S t . Patrick's D a y P a r a d e . T h e B i i n i s t e r aptly described he day. It w a s i n d e e d itterly cold and despite ny initial d i s a p p o i n t m e n t t the absence of A m e r i an Bands the occasion as in f a c t m o r e ' h o m e l y ' ithout t h e m and showed Jet a g a i n t h a t G a l w a y i s jery c a p a b l e o f p r o v i d i n g spectacular celebration then the occasion de p e n d s it. It w a s a c o n s i d able i m p r o v e m e n t on list y e a r . No one can deny that lie o r g a n i s e r s d i d a f i n e >b; a n d t h e n o e a s y t a s k f moving nearly a thousnd p e o p l e i n p a r a d e f o r lation w a s a c c o m p l i s h e d ith h a r d l y a fault. It w a s pranged that the Mayor, Id. F i n t a n C o o g a n , t o other w i t h t h e m e m b e r s f the Borough Council ere to gather in a neary hotel at Eyre Square a n d w e l c o m e the Minister to the City. As t i m e went on, however, a n d the M i n ister had arrived there was no Mayor to m e e t him. The City dignitaries m o v e d to the review stand. And although the Mayor was not given up as lost there was a certain antic ipation that all w a s not well. D a n O'Neill, the parade organising chair man, was described as being "pale with worry". But when at last the parade approached Eyre Square, immediately fol lowing the Colour Party, sitting in a horse-drawn Coach with Tommy Feeney at the reins, the Sword and Mace bearers opposite, was the Mayor and Mrs. Coogan looking splendid, waving to the c r o w d s . Fintan, like in everything else has his own way of doing things, and in this case m a d e his own arrangements. Cert ainly his mode of trans port was appropriate to his resplendant robes and t h e c r o w d s l o v e d it. " F a i r play to you Fintan", said one onlooker, "the Lord M a y o r of London is only t r o t t i n g a f t e r y o u !" A total of forty organ isations, schools and in dustries were represented in the parade. For the third year in succession the Claddagh Residents' Association w o n the Best Presented Float on which they depicted, with h u m our and absolute accur acy, a Claddagh wedding i n 1903. T w e n t y - f i v e p e o p l e w e r e o n the float a l t o gether where Walter Regan had constructed the interior of a kitchen, c o m plete with Pig's Cheek and Crubeens on the table, s a l t e d fish b y t h e h e a r t h , the Joe M a c Trio as m u s icians and "real drink in the bottles". B y the t i m e the "Wedding" had reach ed Eyre Square Patrick Cooke, George Conlon and Sean Thornton were sing ing at the top o f their v o i c e s . It w a s a very worthy prize winner. St. Joseph's Y o u t h C l u b won the Best Walking

The Mayor of Galway Aid. Fintan Coogan T.D. with Mrs. Coogan riding in state with the City Sword and Mace at the head of the St. Patrick's Day Parade.

TREVLRA
w i t h style

Group and the Peggy Carty School of Dancing with Peggy herself driving a pony and trap, and Pierce Connolly's Wolf hound in a trailer behind, also won a Best Walking Group Prize. Other groups partici pating were: Civil De fence, Girl Guides, R e d Cross, Claddagh School, Mairead O'Flaherty School of Dancing, Boy Scouts and Cubs, St. Anth ony's Club, B.L.E. County Board, Macra na Tuaithe, ^Renewal a n d Y o u t h C l u b , Western Health Board, Order of Malta, A n Taisce, Brothers of Charity, Clarinbridge, Claddagh C o m h altas Ceolteoiri, St. M a r y ' s Housewives, Claddagh; CLE., Castlebar Comhaltas Ceolteoiri, Galway Sailing Club, Mervue Pioneer Club, Rovers Ladies Football Team,

Salthill Tourist a n d D e velopment Association, Shantalla Residents, Pat r i c i a n M u s i c a l S o c i e t y , J. Rice and M. Lambert, Old Galway for People and the Galway Riding Club. The four City Bands: Patrician Brass Band, Galway Fife a n d D r u m B a n d , St. Patrick's B r a s s B a n d and the Young Clad dagh School Band, ac credited themselves sup erbly as usual. Mr. Ritchie Ryan m a d e several references to the uniqueness of the Galway P a r a d e d u r i n g a n official function later in the Great Southern Hotel. H e prais ed the c o m m u n i t y spirit which existed in Galway and remarked that with out any outside influence Galway m a d e St. Patrick's Day their own festive occasion.

N O W

IS

THE

TIME

TO

PLAN

for beautiful freshness and colour in your garden

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