On Wednesday last, February 22nd, Thurles St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee officially launched details of this year’s town parade (2023), following a meeting held in the Thurles Chamber Enterprise Centre.
PicturedL-R: Pat Carey, Hugh Ryan, Jane Ryan, Julie Barrett, Helen Pollard (Sponsor Michael’s Jewellers, Westgate, Thurles.) Cllr. Peggy Ryan (Cathaoirleach Thurles Municipal District Council), Ciaran Callanan, Cllr. Seán Ryan and Sgt. John McCormack.
Mr Johnny Kenehan (Chairperson St. Patrick’s Day Committee) Reports: –
The Thurles St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee wish to announce the holding of a live parade on March 17th next, 2023, starting at 2.30pm in Liberty Square, in the town. This years parade follows a 3 year hiatus; caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The parade will assemble at Abbey Road, Thurles at 1.45pm at Jysk Store and leave at 2.15pm.
We, the committee invite entries from clubs, social organisations and schools, to participate in this live parade, and to take this opportunity to showcase, publicly, their various organisations and proud achievements, in this most public of settings.
“The Past, Present and Future”
The theme for this year’s parade is “The Past, Present and Future”, thus leaving those taking part, to come up with their own pivotal theme or interpretation of some other concept, whether real or imaginary.
Prizes
To mark the return of the 2023 Thurles Parade, the prize for the Best Overall Entry will be a whopping €1,000, with a trophy. There will be cash prizes and trophies also for 2nd Best and 3rd Best parade entries; with various other categories also receiving trophies, plus a Special Award of the Judges choosing.
To add to the festivities, there will be live music in the Square prior to the parade, with O’Donoghue’s Funfair in O’Meara’s Car Park, together with facepainting for smaller children. [So do come early!]
The committee are pledged to making this year’s St. Patrick’s Day parade a success, so do keep in mind that it is the level of participation and the quality of entries that will make this years parade a success.
We ask that all shop fronts display a St. Patrick’s Day Theme the week, before the national day of celebration, greening up the town, bigger and brighter than ever before. To this end there will 2 prizes for Best Dressed Window [Best Traditional Window Display and Runner-Up]. Note: Judging in the Best Dressed Window category, for will take place the week prior to the main parade and a Trophy presentation will be held on Saturday March18th at 3:00pm, in The Thurles Chamber Enterprise Centre, Jimmy Doyle Road, Thurles.
All entries can be made by sending details to these email addresses – johnnykenehan@hotmail.comor thurlespaddiesday@gmail.com. It is hoped that all clubs, schools, organisations and businesses will be in a position to participate and we greatly look forward to hearing from you.
More information will forthcoming in the weeks ahead.
To date the committee would like to thank the following sponsors for their kind donations:
Dare any of you lovers out there, forget that St. Valentine’s Day, is on Tuesday next, February 14th.
Talking of people in recent history, who fell in love, let’s not forget the sadly unrequited* love story of that great Irish poet, Patrick Kavanagh (1904-1967), and Ms Hilda Moriarty in 1944.
* Unrequited love occurs when one person yearns for unconditional love, from another individual who doesn’t always feel the same way.
It was sometime in the Autumn of 1944, while living on Raglan Road, in Ballsbridge, Co. Dublin, that the poet Kavanagh spotted Ms Hilda Moriarty, herself a native of Co. Kerry, as she wended her way to attend Dublin City University, where she was studying to become a medical doctor.
Ms Moriarty was then 22yrs old, while Kavanagh was some 20 years her senior. For Kavanagh, it was love at first sight, and though she would regarded him as a close friend, her true feelings toward him were never of a romantic nature.
In 1947 Hilda would marry the handsome Mr Donogh O’Malley, a rugby union player, who later served as Parliamentary Secretary to the then Minister for Finance (1961 to 1965); Fianna Fáil Minister for Health (1965 to 1966), and Minister for Education (1966 to 1968). It was the same O’Malley who first announced the notion of free education for Irish students, on September 10th, 1966, unknown to his cabinet colleagues; thus updating Ireland’s antiquated educational system, same unchanged since Irish independence.
Sometime later, Kavanagh was inspired to write the poem, that we refer to, today, as, “On Raglan Road”, published in the Irish Press in 1946, under the title, “Dark Haired Miriam Ran Away”. Kavanagh’s poem was later set to the melody of an old Irish song called, “Fainne Gael an Lae”; (Irish loose translated, “The Dawning of the Day”).
ON
OnRaglan Road.
Lyrics: Irish Poet and Novelist, Patrick Kavanagh(1904-1967). Vocals: Singer, Folk Musician, Banjoist and Actor, the great Luke Kelly(1940 – 1984).
On ‘Raglan Road’ of an Autumn day, I saw her first and knew, That her dark hair would weave a snare, That I might one-day rue. I saw the danger and I passed, Along the enchanted way, And I said, “Let grief be a fallen leaf, At the dawning of the day.” On Grafton Street in November, We tripped lightly along the ledge, Of a deep ravine where can be seen, The worth of passion play. The Queen of Hearts still making tarts, And I not making hay. Oh, I loved too much and by such, by such, Is happiness thrown away. I gave her gifts of the mind, I gave her the secret sign, That’s known to the artists, who have known, The true gods of sound and stone. And word and tint, (I did not) without stint. (For) I gave her poems to say, With her own name there and her own dark hair, Like clouds over fields of May. On a quiet street, where old ghosts meet, I see her walking now, Away from me so hurriedly, My reason must allow, That I had loved, not as I should, A creature made of clay, When the angel woos the clay, he’d lose, His wings at the dawn of day.
American legendary composer, record producer, songwriter and pianist Mr Burt Freeman Bacharach (1928 – 2023) passed away yesterday, of natural causes, aged 94 years.
Among his lifetime achievements were Six Grammy Awards; Three Academy Awards; The George and Ira Gershwin Award, for Musical Achievement; An Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music; The Thornton Legacy Award USC; National Academy Of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), New York Heroes Award; and The Polar Music Prize, latter presented in Stockholm by His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.
In his private life Mr Bacharach was married four times. His first wife was Paula Stewart for five years (1953–1958). His second marriage, to actress Angie Dickinson, lasted 15 years (1965–1980). The couple had a daughter (Nikki Bacharach), latter who died of suicide in January 2007, at the age of 40. His third marriage was to lyricist Carole Bayer Sager, which lasted for nine years (1982–1991) during which they adopted a son named Cristopher Elton Bacharach. His fourth wife, was Jane Hansen, whom he wed in 1993. Together they had two children, a son named Oliver and a daughter named Raleigh.
Vocals: American Musician, Actor, Radio Host and author Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives. (Burl Ives 1909 – 1995). Lyrics: Nashville singer & songwriter Hank Cochran(Real Name: Garland Perry Cochran)
“Same Old Hurt”
‘Got that same old hurt in my heart.’
Got a new house with new lumber. Even got a new phone number. Did it all since we broke apart. Got acquainted with new faces. Started going to new places, But I’ve got that same old hurt in my heart.
Got a new suit for next Sunday. Got a new job starting Monday. Got everybody thinking I’m half smart. Got a new vocabulary. Even got a new canary, But I’ve got that same old hurt in my heart.
No matter what I change, Same old hurt stays the same, Always there reminding me that we’re apart. Got a new wallet full of money. Got a new girl that calls me ‘Honey’, But I’ve got that same old hurt in my heart.
No matter what I change That same old hurt, it stays the same. It’s always there reminding me that we’re apart. Got a new wallet full of money. Got a new girl that calls me ‘Honey’, But I’ve got that same old hurt in my heart.
“Always engage brain before operating mouth.” Same was a regular piece of advice doled out by Eliza Jane, my Grandmother.
Proverbs 15:28: “The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.”
According to the late Robin Gibb(CBE), (1949 – 2012) of the musical group, “Bee Gees” the song ‘Words’ reflected a mood, and was originally written following an argument. Barry and Robin Gibb had both been arguing with someone, about absolutely nothing. They were just words, however, as we all appreciate, the spoken words can make a person happy or words can make a person sad and angry.
Vocals: Bee Gees Lyrics: Maurice Ernest Gibb; Robin Hugh Gibb and Barry Alan Gibb
Smile an everlasting smile, A smile can bring you near to me. Don’t ever let me find you gone, ‘Cause that would bring a tear to me. This world has lost its glory. Let’s start a brand new story now, my love. Right now, there’ll be no other time, And I can show you how, my love. Talk in everlasting words, And dedicate them all to me, And I will give you all my life. I’m here if you should call to me. And you think that I don’t even mean, A single word I say. It’s only words and words are all I have, To take your heart away. And you think that I don’t even mean, A single word I say. It’s only words and words are all I have, To take your heart away. It’s only words and words are all I have, To take your heart away. It’s only words.
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