By Drogheda Festival Committee, Photos Jenny Callanan
While the St. Patrick’s Day Parade is a wonderful celebration of all things Irish and a great day out for the family there will be four well known locals who will be put to the pin of their collar having to decide who will take home the Grand Prize on the day, The Coca-cola Perpetual Trophy.
Commissioned by Coca-cola HQ in Atlanta, is a unique piece of crystal that features the iconic Coca-Cola bottle inside a world globe. The introduction this year of a special prize for the Best Dressed Dame will add another twist to the mix.
As always the Judging Panel is chaired by the Grand Dame herself, and Honorary President of The St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Isobel Sanroma. Long-time Chairperson and founding member of the first parade, Isobel, has been an advocate for Drogheda and children not just here but also for her work with children affected by the Chernobyl disaster. This year is the 30th anniversary of her involvement in that campaign and she will mark the occasion with a new exhibition in the coming months.
This year Drogheda Festival’s Committee are delighted to welcome Katie Kierans on board as not just a judge but also as our media partner for this years event. Katie has recently taken over DroghedaLife.com. Hailing from a family well known in the business and media community she has injected a new spark and dynamic to local news reporting since taking over the reins.
Sharing some the same genes but less of the youthfulness is the one and only Decky “The Dapper Don” Kierans who has championed all that is good and great about the town through his passion and involvement in Drogheda’s sporting, creative and business communities. A founding member of the Festival Committee and Drogheda BIDS he continues to be a wonderful source of local knowledge and support to the parade committee and all around him.
Over the last couple of the town has witnessed some fantastic sporting achievements. Last year,s parade celebrated the success of Drogheda United and local GAA clubs The Wolfe Tones and St Nicolas’s and this year there will be a tribute to the wonderful achievements of St. Feckin’s Ladies, Louth’s Senior Men, Ladies and Under 20’s. However this year marked the retirement of one of Drogheda’s most special sporting legends.
A wonderful inspiration for all local children, Megan Campbell is someone who has made a huge impact within her sport. With a CV that begins with Grove Rangers, Boyne Rovers and Moneymore. She moved on to the big smoke to play for St. Francis, Raheny United and Shelbourne before crossing the big pond to Florida State Seminoles and heading back across the small pond to play for such illustrious European Champions as Manchester City and Liverpool. She retired last year from London City Lioness’s.
Her international career can only be described as fantastic. She was a member of the Republic of Ireland U-17 squad that were runners-up at the 2010 UEFA Women’s Under-17 Championship and quarter-finalists at the 2010 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. Over the course of her career she went on to win 57 caps and score 4 senior goals for her country putting her 2 above Gary Kelly but 8 behind Ian Harte with 12. In tandem to these wonderful achievements she is perhaps the first Droghedean to hold a place in the Guinness Book of Records for recording the world longest throw for a female of 37.55 metres.
Perhaps the most endearing and emotional element about Megan being part of the judging panel is that as a teenager she was lucky enough to accompany her Grandfather Eamonn Campbell who was Grand Marshall 20 years ago. World reknown musician of The Dubliners fame her participation marks a unique cross generational occasion that celebrates the best of Drogheda and all of our musical and sporting hero’s and heroine’s.
Drogheda’s first ever Saint Patrick’s Music and Arts Festival takes place at Scotch Hall Shopping Centre and West Street from March 14th to 17th with a wide variety of free events for all the family to enjoy. Featuring book readings, art and craft workshops, Ceilí Disco, Leprechaun Treasure Hunts, Drogheda Cottage Market, a Photo Exhibition marking 75 years of the Drogheda Pantomime Society, a fireworks display on Sunday evening with Saint Patrick returning up the Boyne by boat and a feast of live music with headliners the Drogheda Male Voice Choir, Rapscallion and The Wednesday Gang.
The Drogheda Festival Committee would like to thank all their generous sponsors, including Fitz Scientific, Louth County Council, and Drogheda BIDS, along with the support of local service providers The Garda Síochana, Boyne Fisherman’s Rescue and Recovery, the Irish Coast Guard, Order of Malta and Louth Volunteers, who together make this weekend the best family day out of the year.
Check out the Drogheda Life What’s On guide for info on the festival’s events.
