Despite the bitterly cold day, hundreds of people lined the streets for the 2018 Ballina/Killaloe St. Patrick’s Day parade and the organising committee would like to say a huge thanks to all those who helped make the day such a success.

• Inspector David Finnerty, Sergeant Annette Ryan and members of the Killaloe Gardaí for their excellent work in ensuring the safe and successful running of the parade
• The Killaloe Coastguard Unit for their fantastic display of their services
• Killaloe Fire Brigade
• Our group drummers who led this years’ parade, St. Patrick and our Piper Brian O’Connell, who played at two parades on the day.
• All the voluntary clubs & organisations, individuals and businesses who put so much work into preparing their floats for the day –

Ballina GAA, Ballina/Killaloe RFC, Birdhill FC, Birdhill Tidy Towns, CarPal, Darkness into Light & Killaloe/Ballina Community & Family Resource Centre, East Clare Farmers Hunt, 11^th Clare Scouts Clonlara, Irish Taekwondo Academy, Killaloe 5^th/22^nd Scouts, Lough Derg FC, Nuala’s Tuamgraney, Sasha Morrissey Irish Dance School, Smith O’Brien’s GAA, Vintage Tractor driven by John Bowman & Vintage Car driven by Paddy & Patsy O’Brien.

• We would also like to say a huge thank you to all the floats who continued from the Green to Lakes Nursing Home to entertain the many residents who were getting into the spirit of our feast day.
• The dignitories who were present on the reviewing stand – Fr. James Grace, Inspector David Finnerty, Councillor Michael Begley and Timmy Dooley, T.D. We would also like to thank the following who, due to other commitments, were not able to attend on the day – Councillor Phyll Bugler, Cllr. Joe Cooney, Councillor Ger Darcy, Councillor Tony O’Brien and Sadie Scanlan.
• Mike McGrath Haulage for providing the reviewing stand for the parade
• Killaloe Flowers for beautifully decorating the reviewing stand for the celebrations
• Ballina Engineering who kindly provided our steps for the reviewing stand
• Mike McKee for providing the PA for the day
• The parade stewards, including two willing volunteers who were visiting from North Carolina & all those who helped out with the preparations on the day.
• Our sponsors, without whom the running of such a successful parade would not have been possible:

Allied Irish Bank, Birdhill Tidy Towns, Brian Ború on the Hill, Car Pal, Darkness into Light, Derg House B&B, Farrell’s SPAR, Flanagan’s on the Lake, Harry Brann Auctioneers, Killaloe/Ballina Community and Family Resource Centre, Killaloe Post Office, Larkin’s Gala, McKeogh’s Hardware, Sasha Morrissey Irish Dance School, Scoop’s Ice-Cream Parlour, The Lakeside Hotel & Leisure Centre, The Seanachoí Bar, Walsh’s Bar.

We would also like to congratulate the winners on the day –

Best Overall Float: Birdhill Tidy Towns;

Best Business Float: Nuala’s Tuamgraney;

Best Topical Float: 11^th Clare Scouts Clonlara;

Best Club Float: East Clare Farmer’s Hunt;

Special Merit Award: The Irish Taekwondo Academy

Best Dressed Window: O’Donovan’s Insurance, Killaloe for their excellent interpretation of St. Patrick “Driving” the Snakes out of Ireland.

The judges of the Best Dressed Window would also like to commend the following:

Collins Pharmacy, Ballina

Collins Pharmacy & The Celtic Cat, Killaloe

Fine Rags, Killaloe

Heaney’s Costcutter, Killaloe

Joanne’s Boutique, Ballina

John Crotty’s, Bridge Street (decorated by Paul McGrath)

I think we have found one of our judges for next year!