Planning your St Patrick’s Day in north Westmeath
This year St Patrick’s Day celebrations in Westmeath will focus on Mullingar, Castlepollard, Delvin and Castletown Geoghegan.
The pandemic pubic health restrictions have eased sufficiently to allow public gatherings in 2022, and the first ones locally on Thursday are the AON Mullingar Half Marathon, which starts in the town centre at 9am, and the St Malachy’s GAA Big Breakfast, which starts at 9.30am. The event includes full Irish breakfasts and takeaway breakfast rolls, and there is a fancy dress theme and raffle.
Tied in with the half marathon is the Fleadh 5k, and the participants in that will start at 10am, after the last half marathon runner has departed.
The 5k is the first of two Fleadh Cheoil 2022 fundraisers in Mullingar on St Patrick’s Day; the other is a tractor run at 3pm. The vehicles (classic and interesting cars and lorries are also welcome, and Mullingar Classic and Vintage Club will lead out the parade) will gather for registration from 1pm at the Mullingar Charity Variety group premises in Forest Park, and will proceed in convoy through the town centre from the Dublin Road side.
There will be music and fun on the Market Square at 3.20/3.30pm to coincide with the run, and spectators are encouraged along the route.
There will be prizes for the ‘best-dressed tractor’ on the theme of the Fleadh Ceoil or St Patrick’s Day.
Vehicle entry is €20, and there will be donation buckets along the route for the public to contribute. Grange Motors will have the Toyota Corolla prize for the Fleadh 2022 car draw on a trailer in the parade. Proceeds will go to Fleadh Cheoil 2022.
Further north, the Delvin Parade Committee is hosting a St Patrick’s Day Festival from 2pm to 5pm at Delvin Mart. The event includes live music, entertainment for families, face painting, balloon modelling, refreshments and more. Admission is free and there will be on site parking.
The North Westmeath St Patrick’s Day Parade is in Castlepollard at 5.15pm. Registration is on the day and there no entry fee. There are prizes for the best floats and the them this year is ‘Connections’. Mullingar Town Band and their guests from Germany, The Spirit of 52 Band, will be present.