WATCH: Don’t rain on my parade – A poignant St Patrick’s Day in Kilkenny celebrated in ways never seen before
People in Kilkenny and all over the country are coming up with innovative ways to celebrate St Patrick’s Day while adhering to social distancing.
In Kilkenny, Cats supporters have been flocking to online watch parties to relive the successes of the county’s hurlers over the years and interacting while watching the action, some even predicting the scores and results before the ball is thrown in……. Indeed!
Maria O’Shea Enright, Paney Bartley, Pete MacGowan and Kevin Power at the Ormond Castle, Carrick-on-Suir
Around the county and the country, people are following the lead of our Italian friends and are organising to play music from their windows in an effort to create commonality and connection, while obviously maintaining the recommended distance. Who doesn’t like a good sing-song.
A lone trumpeter plays The Fields in Fermoy, county Cork
A moment has to be given to all the kids who were practicing so hard for weeks for their moments in St Patrick’s Day up and down the country who have been left with no outlet to display their talents – step in mammy and daddy. Many parents have been sharing videos online of the party pieces practiced for the parades, giving those kids their moment in the sun.
Many more have been holding their own parades at home after RTÉ made a call out for people to create virtual parades – and many have taken up the challenge, creating fantastic parades of their own, real and animates, and some far too cute – a beautiful dog and an adorable toddler parading for his soft toys – cue AWWWHHHHH!
A councillor in Waterford asked people to join in a rendition of the national anthem, Amhrán Na bhFiann. West Waterford Sinn Fein Cllr Conor McGuinness, called for the anthem to be sang in support of our health workers and frontline services at 3pm today.
Even with pubs closed on Irish National Holiday, people are signing up to virtual gatherings, many coming together with their friends in virtual pubs for a few moments from their day, all in an effort to maintain social contact and interaction. In a year where someone in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the USA or Asia are as accessible as friends close to home, this gathering is proving very popular.
One of the more innovative ideas which had hundreds of people flocking to it was a virtual St Patrick’s Day Kid’s Disco morning streamed online by Cork’s finest, Back Bar legend, RED FM Dj and festival favourite Stevie G. Thousands of kids and adults alike busting moves all in the confines of their own living rooms and kitchens.
One of the easiest ways however of staying connected is a good old phone call – now is a difficult time for many people, some more isolated than others, so just remember, it’s good to talk.
