Paint the town green: Limerick all set to party like it’s 2019 for our national day!

AFTER two years at home, Limerick people will unite as one this St Patrick’s Day when no less than 10 parades take place across the city and county.

From Abbeyfeale in the west to Ballylanders in the east, and from Castleconnell in the north to Kilfinane in the south, the parades are expected to attract huge numbers as the weather looks set to bring good sunny spells and warm temperatures this Thursday.

And publicans across the city and county are expecting a bonanza, with an extended Bank Holiday weekend beginning from this Wednesday night.

Ger Callanan, proprietor of The Glen Tavern says the excitement of the return of the St Patrick’s Day parades is “like kids waiting for Christmas.”

Tens of thousands of people are expected to line the city’s streets, and Henry Street is to witness a parade led by members of Limerick’s victorious hurling panel, carrying the Liam MacCarthy Cup won in glorious circumstances last August.

In case you missed it! Here are the parade routes for #LimerickStPatsFestival, including the #Limerick #StPatricksDay Parade and the International Band Championships. Where will you be viewing from? ☘️

Full details: https://t.co/cc7l2t4ygH pic.twitter.com/aqakJwxng5

— Limerick St. Patrick's Festival (@LimerickStPats) March 16, 2022

It’s the first time this decade that a full-scale St Patrick’s Day celebration can take place, with parades in 2020 and 2021 cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

And while the successful vaccination programme has left huge numbers protected against the worst of the disease, Dr Rose Fitzgerald, of the Department of Public Health Mid-West urged people who are experiencing flu-like symptoms to remain at home.

“It hasn’t gone away,” she said this Tuesday. “We still need to be vigilant. People with symptoms need to avoid social settings – don’t go to work or the pub, or meet family – and get a test.

“Whenever there is an increased mixing of people, there is a risk of Covid-19 increasing. Half of the cases of Covid-19 are there because of something else, but it does show numbers are still high,” added Dr Fitzgerald, who is a specialist in public health medicine.

The sound of American accents on the streets in Limerick is also becoming more common after two years of reduced travel, said Elaina Fitzgerald Kane, president of the Irish Hotels Federation.

Elaina, whose family own the Woodlands Hotel in Adare – a village hosting its first parade in 23 years this week – added: “What I would have noticed in our own hotel in the last two weeks is a lot of American bookings coming in at very late notice. Now if you’re out and about, you hear American accents – and it’s not what we’ve heard much of over the last two years.”

Limerick city’s parade kicks off at noon on Thursday.