All About Cork: Carrigaline all set for Patrick’s Day parade

The organising committee of the Carrigaline St Patrick’s Day parade are planning the best parade ever.

The committee received wonderful support for the fundraising weekends in SuperValu and Dunnes Stores shopping centres. They are decorating the route with bunting, starting before the traffic at 5.30am on Sunday.

The parade will assemble on the Lower Kilmoney Rd. All the walking groups will assemble at Dairygold car park. The roads will be closed and the parade, led by the Carrigaline Pipe Band, will start at 1.30pm on Monday and proceed down the Main Street. In a tribute to the County Senior Football champions, the victorious Carrigaline team will be this year’s Grand Marshals. The team will march behind the Pipe Band and three representatives will take the stand, club president Thos Maye, tesam manager Michael Meaney and vice-captain Chris O’Herlihy.

Pipers Amusements will be located in the Owenabue car park to add to the festivities on the day.

Spring planting underway

Carrigaline Tidy Towns is in full swing with their spring planting programme. Many of the flowering plants which were grown from seed by their own members were planted in garden patches and planters around the town. Carrigaline Dental on Church Hill is trendsetting with a fine floral display in five window boxes, hopefully other businesses will follow suit.

Tidy Towns got great help from a team of employees from Cadence Ireland (Cork Office) for a major cleanup of the woodland at Waterpark on Thursday, February 27. Later they enjoyed a visit to the Men’s Shed for a tour and refreshments. Thanks to the volunteers who meet every Tuesday and Saturday morning, the town centre is looking well. Plans are in progress for the formal launching of the 2025 Tidy Towns campaign.

MTU IWD celebration at the National Maritime College of Ireland, Ringaskiddy

Community Festival

The dates for Carrigaline’s Got Talent Community Cultural Festival have been fixed to run from Thursday, June 19 to Sunday, June 22.

The programme will include a music marathon, music therapy workshops, a sports day, a concert and a family day — keep the dates June 19-22.

Sports gear swap

Does your child play sports? Do they have items they no longer use or do not fit them? Alternately, is your child looking to get some sports-related gear?

If so, The Big Sports Gear Swap at the Crosshaven Community Centre on Sunday, March 16, will offer the perfect opportunity to recycle items. The event, which takes place from noon until 2pm, will offer people the chance to donate pre-loved items that must be in good condition, or come along, browse and pick up what they need. Items available will include jerseys, boots, hurls, helmets, balls, rackets, wetsuits and more.

The idea of the Climate Ambassador Programme initiative is to reduce the amount of items going to landfill, save parents money, and is a great way to declutter your home.

To donate items in advance, please contact Elaine Duggan on 087 7971667.

Walk for Life table quiz

A table quiz in aid of the upcoming 30th Walk for Life in Carrigaline will take place at NCO’s Mess, Collins Barracks, Cork at 8.30pm on Friday, March 21.

Proceeds of the quiz will go towards children’s orthopaedic reconstruction surgeries and refurbishment of the Elderly Leprosy Unit in Shirati Hospital, Tanzania which the Cork-based registered charity has been supporting for several years. The annual quiz is in memory of Dave Philpott. Tables of four are €40 each. Enquiries to walk founder and quiz organiser John Wade on 086 306 8899 or Ian Keating 087 678 9629. Just come along on the night.

The 30th Walk for Life, Carrigaline will take place on Saturday, June 7, at 10.30am, starting from the greenway (Lulu’s) car park, Crosshaven Rd.

Call for actors

Carrigaline Community Theatre will hold an actors meet-up at the Community Complex in Carriagline on Wednesday, April 2.

In a post on social media the group said: “We plan on running a fun themed actors workshop/meet-up with scripts at the ready! Be ready to perform! Please don’t just turn up on the night unannounced, let us know you’re coming by March 23, so we can be as prepared as we can be. Contact Sean on 083 1726741 and we can add you to our Whatsapp group.”

Get back on the bike

The Carrigdhoun Cycling Club is inviting people to take part in its ‘Couch to 60km’ initiative, a 10-week programme open to both people looking to get ‘back on the bike’ or start from scratch. For information contact 087 2930264 or visit the club Facebook page.

Have Crosshaven and Carrigaline news to share news to share? Contact bill.browne@theecho.ie