Episode 1:
​St Patrick’s Day in Portumna

In the first in a new series of podcasts listen as locals describe St. Patrick's days of the past.

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Casting an eye on Portumna’s parades of the past, Portumna Arts Group invites you to take a trip down memory lane. Relive the buzz on the street, the excitement in the square, the craic on the floats as the participants marched, danced or carried each other in Portumna’s annual parade on tandems, donkeys, ponies and horses, tractors, vintage cars or bicycles. 

Led by marching bands, the school band, an army Colour Party, gymnasts, hurlers and Irish dancers, this spectacle never disappointed the onlookers who lined the streets and it attracted a great variety of entries, full of humour and often with a touch of satire. 

Over the years characters included Dinny from Glenroe, Ben Dunne in a bath of cocaine, Van Morrison taking a swipe at Michelle, guest appearances from presidents like Bill Clinton, Mary Robinson, Obama and Michael D, scenes from Desperate Housewives and The Late Late Show, The Wild West and Garda Patrol, Olympic synchronised swimmers and River Prance. Portumna even launched its very own rocket here in the Square. School musicals revisited, trailers of forthcoming plays and music sessions, it was a case of “around the float and mind the dresser.” Hear Mary Lynch, Dick Ridge and Anne McEntee share their memories of parades of the past and leaves us all with a hunger for parades to come.

​Happy St Patrick’s Day to you all from Shorelines Arts Festival.
 
Producer: Kate Gibbs.
Music: Ceolchroí Productions (Ruth Smith and Fergal Scahill).
Sponsorship: Arts Council of Ireland.
Presented by Portumna Arts Group.