ONE OF Ireland’s best-known street bands are being given the honour of heading the second biggest St Patrick’s Day parade in the world in Savannah, Georgia. More than half a million attendees are expected to line the streets of the historic downtown district on Thursday.
The Barrack Street Band from Cork will perform at a morning Mass held at the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Savannah on Thursday morning.
The fountains in Savannah’s oak-shaded squares are gushing green for the week and a festival programme is already under way ahead of Thursday’s parade.
The band will join 350 units, including more than 50 bands and several US military divisions, in the parade in Georgia which gets under way shortly after 10am local time on Thursday.
The Barrack Street Band, affectionately known as the “Barracka” was officially founded as a temperance band by Fr Theobald Matthew in 1837. Band officer Billy O’Callaghan says it will be a great honour and privilege to lead the parade in downtown Savannah.
Savannah’s first St Patrick’s Day Parade was in 1813, only 80 years after the city was founded. A small group of Hibernians marched on the streets of Savannah to commemorate the life of St Patrick.
Meanwhile, organisers of the St Patrick’s day festival in Cork hope to attract more than 100,000 people to the city from Thursday to Sunday next for concerts, currach racing and céilís.
The old Cork Airport terminal will be home to Terminal Convention, an art, music and discursive event featuring leading and emerging artists and musicians.
The festival will also see performances by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and the Kilfenora Céilí Band. Cork Institute Of Technology's School of Music will be premiering Pierre O'Reilly's Patrick – The Story.
This multimedia re-imagining of the classic tale will be performed for the first time and features the talents of Oscar-nominated animator Nicky Phelan, renowned soprano Cara O’Sullivan and a 90-strong orchestra and choir.
Tim Lucey, Cork city manager, said their parade is the biggest community parade in Ireland.
“Our goal with the Cork St Patrick’s festival is to make it as accessible as possible. Cork’s parade, Ireland’s largest community parade, is aimed at getting people involved in the celebration. Together with our sponsors, Cork City Council has worked to develop a programme of events that showcases Cork’s cultural and social attractions,” he said.
Full details of the programme are available at corkstpatricksfestival.ie