Notre Dame band to start city St Patrick's Day festivities on Friday

Kilkenny City Online: View all News Updates

Published on Thursday 15 March 2012 10:56

The city’s St Patrick’s Day festivities will kick off on Friday with a performance by the University of Notre Dame marching band at 11am on the Parade Plaza, setting the scene for a day’s entertainment on Saturday including the parade starting at 2pm.

The band will perform in Kilkenny ahead of their appearance on The Late Late Show on Friday night. Fr Willie Purcell, who spent much time lecturing in Notre Dame, will meet the group along with local woman Jean Murphy, whose great-grand-uncle Fr Andrew Morrissey was the eighth president of Notre Dame.

Saturday’s parade, with a theme of “A Celebration of Kilkenny’s Gaelic Games, Heritage and Spirit,” will be led by senior hurling captain Brian Hogan along with representation from city and county clubs.

Festivities before and after the parade will include music, dance and theatrical events through the streets of Kilkenny on Saturday.

Friday: 11am: Notre Dame University Marching Band (the Fighting Irish) performance on the Parade Plaza.

2-6pm: Youth bands perform on the festival stage

Saturday: 12.30pm: Pre-parade festivities, live music, food stalls, Young Irish Film Makers

2pm: Parade commences from the top of John Street to the Market Yard.

3.30-6.30pm: Post-parade festivities with dance performances at Canal Square and Starlight Stage School, the Miami Showband and the Swingin’ Blue Cats at the Parade Plaza.

Sunday: 5K Fun Run from The Watershed via Kilkenny Castle Park, fee €10

2.30pm: Kilkenny play Dublin in National Hurling League Division 1 game at Nowlan Park

IN Goresbridge the entertainment will kick off at 2:30pm in Barrack Street with music from Fuinneamh followed by Max Band and then the big event itself, the parade which will start at 3:30pm. The parade will start from Glanbia yard and work its way up through Main Street down Chapel Street and then on passed the viewing stand in Barrack Street and then back into the Glanbia yard though the Barrowmount entrance.

Meanwhile in Graignamanagh the parade will kick off at noon at the petrol station on the Borris Road. In Urlingford the festivities will start at 1.30pm at the hurling field and in Inistioge the parade will begin at 2pm at St Columcilles National School.


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