TheHarpNews.com

Were you with us last year? Did you get wet at the Parade? Will it stop you coming again this year? Of course not!
Last year was a little test to see if people would turn out for the Parade even if it rained. It was mentioned as a risk factor in our marketing plan. We believed that, even if it did rain, people would still turn up and enjoy themselves. And it did rain, and still 80,000 of you did turn up and enjoy yourselves – so well done for taking part in the experiment.
So here we are in 2005. The sun has shone on us already this year, at least metaphorically speaking, in that we have secured funding from Birmingham City Council, to employ a Festival Events Coordinator for 2005-2006 initially, and, pending positive reports, a further year after that. We will be publicising that work after the 2005 Festival so keep watching!
This year too we have secured a new ending place for the Parade at Millennium Point in Curzon St. Ending the Parade to this location enables us to have a stage and to showcase some of the Midlands Irish arts and cultural groups of whom we are so proud. We’re not leaving Digbeth and the Irish Quarter – we’re expanding the boundaries a bit! We know from past experience that some of you will go back to Digbeth once the Parade is over and we have endeavoured to cater for that with road closures including an extended road closure with entertainment including funfair rides around the Irish Club.
But before we get to the Festival highlight that is the Parade, there are plenty of events

during March with an Irish flavour to whet your appetite for our best day out. The Comhaltas Tour of Britain ‘Echoes of Erin’ comes to the Irish Club on March 3rd featuring our own Vince Jordan from South Birmingham Comhaltas. On the same night Birmingham Irish Heritage Group is presenting a play ‘Stepping out of line’ about the inspiring life of an Irish dancing master, Patrick Shanaghan, also at the Irish Club. The Women’s GAA Camogie Festival happens on Saturday March 5th at Spring Lane, Erdington while on Sunday March 6th at 7.30pm, Celtic Affair and Fola entertain with live music at the mac,
And so to Festival weekend – on Friday 11th we kick off with an Irish Arts & Business breakfast at the Paragon Hotel with invited guests. Later in the day, in association with Birmingham Irish Heritage Group, we hope to show some films of Irish interest at South Birmingham College, Digbeth. The Civic Reception hosted by the Lord Mayor, our own Cllr. Mike Nangle, in association with the Birmingham Irish Community Forum, will be held at the Council House with invited guests at 4pm. And if you have the energy, the Donegal Association is holding a fundraiser with an Irish comedian, Conall Gallon, at the Irish Club in the evening.

Festival Saturday will start off in Birmingham at Victoria Square – get there early to see some of the bands who will play in the Parade and the dancers, many of whom will also be seen on the Parade in their magnificent costumes. There are also celebrations in Sandwell and Erdington. The GAA are hosting the St Patrick’s Day Challenge Cup on Saturday afternoon at Spring Lane while around the Midlands region between 1 and 3, Irish clubs should be resounding to the beat of set dancers participating in the Regional Set Dancing Challenge – how many set dancing groups can we have dancing at any one time?
Which brings us to Sunday and the high point of the weekend, the day we all eagerly anticipate from March 17th on the previous year. The Birmingham St Patrick’s Day Parade, 3rd largest in the world, Birming-ham’s largest 1-day street artistic event. As this is written, people are planning floats, what to wear, where they will meet their friends, and all the exciting things they will do to celebrate at the best Irish party in Birmingham, perhaps in Britain.
So come along and join in the craic, you’ll have a ball – you will, you will, you will, you will, you will, you will, you will, you will, you will, you will, you will, you will, you will, you will!!