PLANS are progressing for this year’s Portlaoise St Patrick’s Day parade, despite financial losses last year estimated to have been €5,000.
Acting treasurer for 2011, Jack Nolan told the well attended agm recently that last year’s parade was run at a loss of over €5,000, with contributions from the public and businesses well down on previous years, while costs continue to rise.
He said that it cost in the region of €15,000 to stage last year.
He told the meeting that while pubs, restaurants and takeaway food outlets make significant money from the parade on the day, only six such businesses had contributed the €50 that had been requested out of almost 30 that had been asked.
Mr Nolan said: “The support of businesses in the town is vital if the parade is to continue in the future.”
He said that despite the poor financial support, the committee is pulling out all the stops to make sure that this year’s event will surpass all previous parades.
They are calling on all local schools, sports clubs, voluntary groups, music and dance schools and businesses to get involved.
On the weekend of 11-12 February, the committee is holding its annual street bucket collection and are looking for individuals who might have an hour to spare on that Saturday and Sunday to help out, while also appealing to the public to give generously.
Also, the committee has been presented with two valuable bodhrans and they are being raffled at €5 a ticket, which are available from any committee member. The theme and the grand marshall for this year’s parade will be announced later this week.
The recent AGM elected a new committee for the coming year. Those elected were: chairman, Ger Whelan; vice-chairman, Pat Flynn; secretary, Patricia Hanley; treasurer, Teresa Whelan; PRO, Jack Nolan; committee: Dan Connolly, PJ Kavanagh, Kathleen O’Brien, Malcolm Smith, Dom Dunne, Clement Herron, Monica Delaney, Catherine Fitzgerald, Mark Martley, Gerry Dillon and Tom Walton.