In Reply to: ST. PATRICKS DAY PARADE posted by THE INDEPENDENT on March 17, 2005 at 22:16:51:

Must say I can't agree with you. Even the trucks that people were giving out about were used to transport some really imaginative pieces of fun - Baxter, Mayo Leisure Point, Civil Defence.

The theme of the parade was the Greening of the World - it was obviously a multicultural event with all the colours of humanity present both in the parade and watching it. So Samba bands, Year of the Rooster, mixed in with Ballyheane NS Salmon of Knowledge, the Glenisland Tigers were all part of the theme. It's incredible - our national schools here in town now have pupils representing something like 15 different nationalities and there they were marching in the St. PAtrick's Day Parade with their proud parents watching them from the packed footpaths. Independent I'm afraid you wouldn't recognise a revolution if it happened under your nose.

Even some patients from the hospital felt the need to appear in the parade, rolled out on their trolleys!

As for 'Irish Dancing Costumes' - they were something faked up in the 1950s - they have no real roots in Irish culture. To say that it's the worst parade ever because no Irish Dancing Costume appeared is idiocy. and as for the St. Cronan Pipe band - pipe bands are distinctly Scottish - have you ever seen an Irishman wearing a kilt (and certainly no one has marched with Uileann Pipes in the parade in recent times).

I bet too that you didn't watch the talent competition on the review platform? Some very traditional Sean Nos singing - from 10-year olds even - up there showing that genuine Irish culture is alive and well and living in Castlebar.