GALWAY:IF THE patron saint ever returns to practise his proselytising here, he could find stiff competition from the keen green missionaries in Galway.
Bearing buckets of green beads, sweets and balloons, Pentecostalists and Evangelists vied with Hare Krishna drummers for attention at yesterday’s St Patrick’s Day parade on the banks of the Corrib.
Such was the enthusiasm of the Abundant Lifers and supporters of the Discovery Church that one might believe they could rid the island of recession. In fact, their floats were so richly resourced that several onlookers remarked that “those lads could bail out a few of the banks”.
A “celebration of the sea” was this year’s theme, and a fiendish amphibious rescue squad launched by the Galway Circus Project was accompanied by stilt-walking marine creatures. And as an unseasonably hot sun beat down on the Claddagh, the RNLI lifeboat volunteers aroused loud cheers, baked as they were in their oilskins, helmets and lifejackets.
For the most part, however, the groups focused on their own talents rather than the sea theme, with familiar airs played by the musicians from Scoil San Phroinsias, Tirellan, St Patrick’s Brass Band and the Patrician Band among others. Non-governmental organisations were well represented, including the Galway Traveller Movement, Amnesty International and the Samaritans.
Also taking part were the Association of Nigerians and Americans in Galway, with the latter group carrying flyers proclaiming “there is no one as Irish as Barack”.
Visitors included the US Jersey City police, the Scottish Uist Pipe Band, Breton dancers, meditating Falun Da Buddhists, and several high schools from Canada.
The guest of honour was dancer, athlete and Druid actor Ray McBride. The most unusual participant, however, was a rather frightened-looking penguin, held in the grip of a performer from Circus New York.
