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The 2022 St Patrick's Day festivities in Newry saw the largest turnout of visitors to the city in many years. It was possibly the largest crowd ever at the annual St Patrick's Day Parade. The entire parade route from the Albert Basin all the way to Newry Town Hall was several people deep on both sides, with many claiming their spot up to an hour before things got underway.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council pulled out all the stops to encourage visitors back into the town with many new initiatives and the efforts paid off handsomely, with many thousand descending, not just on the parade route but throughout the city.
A new Family Festival Village at McClelland Park in Catherine Street had a large marquee erected with lots of activities for young families, something incredibly popular, judging by the long queues for the fun and games. Live music was in abundance with everything from traditional and folk to brass bands to rap to jazz to pop. Stages were erected at McClelland Park, Newry Town Hall, Marcus Square and Margaret Square and a series of speakers channelled music throughout the city streets.
The usual stalls along Hill Street proved as popular as ever with local shops, restaurants and bars remaining busy the entire day and well into the evening. The Ceílí tent on Margaret Square saw many visitors put on their dancing shoes to try a bit of set dancing.
It all heralds well for the future. It was obvious that people had missed the festivities in the two years of absence and were 'ready and raring to go' once again. All in all a wonderful family event.
The parade itself might not have been as developed as in previous years but given the turmoil of the pandemic and the fact that it couldn't have been organised many months ago, due to much uncertainty, that is understandable. The fact that there was so many other events and happenings competing for visitors attention more than compensated.
Suggestions for the future we would make here at Newry.ie would be to hold off on the stage events when the parade is taking place. Brian Kennedy was on stage at 1pm in Marcus Square at the same time the Parade was starting on Merchants Quay. No doubt many people would have liked to have seen both spectaculars but it wasn't possible. Lastly something that every good festival needs - bunting galore from top to bottom on many of the city streets.
Well done to all the organisers who must have known very quickly yesterday that all the hard work was so worthwhile when they saw all the smiling faces from young to old.
