Cork's St Patrick’s Day festival to honour centenarians

Pride of place at the forthcoming St Patrick’s Day parade in Cork will go to anybody celebrating their 100th birthday this year.

Cork City Council wants to acknowledge those of a special age, due to this year’s centenary of the Easter Rising.

A spokesman for City Hall said the theme for the parade is ‘1916 the legacy’ and citizens, who were born when the history of our modern nation was being forged, are our legacy.

The festival event in Cork runs from Thursday to Sunday and there will be free family fun and lots of 1916 commemoration events.

Festivities will kick off with the parade on St Patrick’s Day which will feature jaw-dropping street theatre, pageantry, and up to 3,000 people from community and voluntary groups.

Anyone aged 100 or over who is interested in participating can contact Robbie Crowley at Cork City Council 021 496 6222.

We would like to invite #Cork centenarians (100yrs plus) to take part in #corkpaddysfest https://t.co/CRR1pox2VX pic.twitter.com/83y1sbwpFq

— Cork St. Patrick's Festival (@corkpaddysfest) March 10, 2016

The parade is to be stream-lined live on www.corkcity.ie/tv and www.corkstpatricksfestival.ie.

Over the four days, the streets of Cork will be awash with talented mime artists, jugglers and magicians from around the world, and there will be a fantastic line-up of free live music for families on the stage at Grand Parade and traditional music in bars throughout the city with The Lee Sessions.

There will also be free creative workshops for children in Bishop Lucey Park on Saturday and Sunday and a local food and crafts market on the Grand Parade from 10am-6pm on March 17, 19 and 20.

Organisers Cork City Council are supported by Cork Airport, The Evening Echo and Cork’s RedFM.

For further information see www.corkstpatricksfestival.ie, Facebook@corkstpatricksfestival, or Twitter @corkpaddysfest.