Delvin is going ‘extra green’

The Delvin St Patrick’s Day Festival takes place on the day itself this year, Friday March 17 (2-6pm), when the stretch of road between church and the livestock mart will be closed and pedestrianised for the duration.

After the Covid hiatus, St Patrick’s Day celebrations return to Delvin for 2023. Spearheaded by the Festival Committee and with the help of main sponsor Bracklyn Wind Farm, along with Home Instead, Westmeath County Council and PPN, this year’s celebration will be ‘super green’.

As well as donning traditional green garb, festival visitors will be encouraged to experience the many sustainable and green-focused activities incorporated into the line-up.

In addition to regular St Patrick’s day fun like live music, Circus Corvenieo, Irish dancing and on-street food and entertainment, visitors will also be able to experience the newly installed bug hotels, which Bracklyn Wind Farm has donated to the village.

The bug hotels, which will be unveiled to the public during the festivities, are in the village picnic area, close to the livestock mart.

The creepy crawly hotels will provide cosy shelter for insects big and small and will be there to promote pollination and elevate ecosystem diversity all year long.

Speaking about why Bracklyn Wind farm first got involved with the Delvin St Patrick’s Day proceedings, James Carville, wind farm project manager, said: “Bracklyn Wind Farm will deliver green energy to Ireland and the community.

“When we heard that a festival with a green ethos was taking place in Delvin, which is a community close to our wind farm’s proposed location, we jumped at the chance to get involved.

“Our sponsorship of the festival is part of our ongoing community outreach program, which is there to promote green education and renewable energy adaptation.

“We are lucky to be in constant engagement with the Delvin community, and we value their feedback and are thrilled to be included in the planning for this celebration.

“We are also delighted to be the main sponsor of the festival raffle, for we have donated a prize for a family to reduce their annual energy bill.”

John Donlon, spokesperson for the Delvin committee, said: “When Bracklyn Wind Farm approached us and offered to sponsor our festival, we were thrilled.

“Delvin has hosted a St Patrick’s Day Parade every year since 1997 with great success, but after Covid, we decided to make a change and host a festival instead.

“Supporting local businesses and community groups is important to our committee. We feel that the festival will give our community a boost and an opportunity to showcase their businesses or projects. Each year we do our best to raise funds in order to host a free event.

“We feel fortunate and grateful to Bracklyn Windfarm, our main sponsor, as well as Westmeath County Council, Home Instead, PPN and local sponsors for their support in helping us fund this event and keep it free for the local community.

“We are also thankful to Bracklyn Wind Farm for donating the first prize in the raffle fundraiser, as well as donating insect hotels for the village.

“We believe the insect hotels will be a great addition to the village and encourage sustainability in the community. We hope to share the importance of looking after the environment at our ‘green’ themed festival.”