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Limerick St Patricks Festival 2019 launches with Dr Norah Patten as Grand Marshal

Sean Lagzdins, Lumen and Limerick Street theatre, Dr Norah Patten, Grand Marshal and Sarah Corrigan at Saint Marys Cathedral for the launch of Limerick St Patricks Festival 2019. Photo: Sean Curtin/True Media.

Limerick St Patricks Festival 2019 blasts off as Dr Norah Patten named as Grand Marshal
 

Dr Norah Patten, who is in the running to be Ireland’s first astronaut, has been unveiled as the Grand Marshal for Limerick St Patricks Festival 2019.
 
The theme of this year’s parade is ‘One Giant Leap’ marking the 50 anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s landing on the moon.  It also reflects the massive and dynamic revitalisation of Limerick over the past number of years.
 
Details of the Limerick St Patricks Festival 2019 were announced today, Tuesday, February 26, including the colourful and energetic Parade, Ireland’s only international Band Championship featuring more than 1,300 musicians, a dazzling fireworks display, a 40-foot panoramic wheel and the Museum of the Moon.
 
The two-kilometre route of the St Patrick’s Day Parade will be filled by participants from all parts of Limerick and across the country, including schools, sports clubs, industry and the new communities that now call Limerick home.
 
The expected tens of thousands of spectators will be thrilled by colourful and high energy entries as they wind their way down O’Connell Street from Roden Street all the way down to Rutland Street on March 17 from 12 noon.

21 bands including eight from America to compete in Ireland’s only marching band competition.
 
Among those who will be taking the theme of One Giant Leap and transforming it into some creative street theatre are Lumen Street Theatre; Space Odyssey; Artastic and Spraoi.
 
Parade Grand Marshall Dr Norah Patten said: “I am deeply moved, what an incredible honour. When I was 19, I moved from my home in Mayo to a new home in Limerick when I began my studies at the University of Limerick.  I’ve spent most of my adult life here and I feel a deep sense of gratitude to the people of Limerick for the welcome and inclusion I have experienced over the years.
 
It’s a great honour to accept the invitation to be Grand Marshal at this year’s Limerick’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. It is so wonderful to hear that my ambition and progress to become Ireland’s first person in space is inspiring others to reach for the stars and it is very exciting to hear the theme this year is ‘One Giant Leap’ in memory of the moon landing.”
 
Speaking at the launch of this year’s Limerick St Patrick’s Festival, Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, Cllr James Collins said: “Limerick St Patrick’s Festival is always a special time, with the young and old participating in the parade.  It is a time for families and this year there is a host of events taking place around the two main attractions of the parade and band championship.  Limerick is at its best celebrating our national holiday and we have so much to offer locals and visitors alike, in what has become a weekend full of celebrations.”
 
The traditional St Patrick’s Day Parade is just one of a number of events taking place across Limerick as part of Limerick St Patricks Festival 2019.
 
Limerick is in a unique position of having the country’s only International Band Championship, now in its forty-ninth year.
 
A total of 21 bands will be taking place in the championship, eight of which are travelling from America.  Others are coming from Estonia, Germany, Britain as well as local and other Irish bands.  The sight of all these marching bands along O’Connell Street is something to behold on Monday, March 18 from 12 noon.
 
Among the bands taking part are: Wauwatosa East Red Raider Band from Wisconsin; University of Nebraska at Kearney Marching Band; Arvada West High School Wildcat Marching Band, Colorado; Glen Ridge High School, New Jersey; The Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh, New Jersey; University of Northern Iowa Panther Marching Band; Charlotte High School and Slippery Rock.
 
The Limerick St Patricks Festival 2019 will kick off with a spectacular fireworks display on Saturday, March 16 at 9.30pm, extending the St. Patrick’s Festival in Limerick programme to three days.
 
The fireworks extravaganza guarantees to animate the city’s skies into an explosion of colour and promises to be a tremendous treat for the whole family and a truly dazzling start to the festival celebrations.
 
The best viewing points are Clancy’s Strand and Sarsfield Bridge.
 
To tie in with the theme of this year’s parade, and honouring the lasting effect that the moon landing has had on the world, the Museum of the Moon will land in St Mary’s Cathedral from 15 – 22 March.  Experience a new touring artwork by artist Luke Jerram, bringing together a fusion of lunar imagery, moonlight and surround sound.  The moon features detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface.
 
Sheila Deegan, Culture and Arts Officer with Limerick City and County Council said: “I’m very excited to see what kind of mischief people will get up to in responding to the theme of this year’s parade.  The parade has changed immeasurably over the past number of years, with the emphasis on fun and spectacle.  It is the centrepiece of the weekend’s festival, which now extends to three days.
 
It’s fantastic to see over 20 bands coming to Limerick for the forty-ninth International Band Championship, something which is unique to Limerick while I would encourage everyone to go and see the moon indoors in St Mary’s Cathedral.  It will be a sight to behold.
 
We are working with Fáilte Ireland on showcasing Limerick St Patrick’s Festival as the biggest event outside of Dublin and we will make all our visitors very welcome.” 

Limerick St Patricks Festival 2019

Dr Norah Patten, Grand Marshal and Luka Sean Og Rosenthal Morrissey, Lumen and Limerick Street theatre at Saint Marys Cathedral for the launch. Photo: Sean Curtin/True Media.


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Among the other events taking place for Limerick St Patricks Festival 2019 include:
 
·         Panoramic Wheel will offer stunning 360-degree views across Limerick’s skyline 9 March – 21 April at Arthur’s Quay Park
·         St Patrick’s Day at the Hunt Museum – 17 March Free admission all day
·         King John’s Castle – 17 March Go Free: Two to Three
·         St Patrick’s Weekend Unlocked Weekend of food, family, friends – all things good and green! 16 – 17 March at Limerick Milk Market


Grooveyard is producing this year’s Limerick St Patrick’s Festival on behalf of Limerick City and County Council along with partners Analog Devices, Mr Binman, ishka, Fáilte Ireland, Live 95 and Siemens.
 
The deadline for entries into St Patrick’s Day Parade is Thursday, February 28.
 
Search ‘St Patrick’s Day Parade’ on Limerick.ie for an application form.

Keep up to date with the full festival line-up, including road closures, through their social media accounts, or go here 

For more stories on Limerick’s St. Patrick’s Day Festival, go here.

Richard is a presenter, producer, songwriter and actor. He was named the Limerick Person of the Year (2011) and won an online award at the Metro Éireann Media and Multicultural Awards (2011) for promoting multi-culturalism online. Richard says that the ilovelimerick.com concept is very much a community driven project that aims to document life in Limerick. So, that in 20 years time people can look back and remember the events that were making the headlines.