Sam Maguire puts in an appearance too!
There were no snakes evident at the Patrick’s Day parade in Maple Drive yesterday. That’s probably because there’s no long grass for them to hide in, the lawns are all immaculate!
No snakes but, strangely enough there were two hens, Rhode Island Reds, in a cage on wheels being pushed around by Myriam McDonnell. Oh, and Sam Maguire also put in an appearance.
There was no time to ask Myriam about the significance of the hens to St. Patrick because the parade was about to move off.
No parade is complete without the Fire Brigade and so it was in Maple Drive. Seven year-old Nancy Clerkin had the honour of leading the parade around the estate sitting astride a lovely red fire engine.
Unlike traditional Fire Brigades though, Nancy opted for a much quieter and more subtle approach, instead of sirens and helmets she opted for a winning smile and a fetching green hat.
This parade was all about the little people of the estate and they were having a ball. You’d swear they had been cooped up at home for a year.
The parade started off gently enough as Nancy got the hang of the controls on the fire engine. Between her and Myriam’s chickens bringing up the rear were children sporting all sorts of interpretations on the leprechaun theme.
The original plan was for the parade to make one circuit of the estate but it turnd out that there were two sweetie stations en-route (like water stations in a marathon but handing out sweets instead of water) so the parade kept going till the sweets ran out.
Several of the little people participating were on bicycles and, with no traffic on the road they were able to put in three or four laps but the sweetie station crew made sure that everyone got their fair share.
All of the children had a great time and some said that it was even better than “the big parade in Peter Street” that some of the older ones could remember being at a couple of years ago.
Fair play to the Maple Drive Mammies and Daddies who watched on from their front gardens, many of them dressed in green just like leprechaun Mammies and Daddies should.
One or two of them were reminiscing about the old days also. “Remember when you’d go to the parade and then up to the pub for a pint before dinner?” someone said.
I could have sworn I saw a grown man cry.
