St Patrick’s Day parade to take on Olympics theme

There’s an exciting mix of sport and culture as this year’s annual St Patrick’s Day Parade kicks off in Birmingham today.  

In celebration of London 2012, there will be an Irish style sporting theme to the event that will be led by representatives from Irish sporting associations in Birmingham. 

The parade will be led by seven flag bearers that will include representatives from the World titled Boxing Personalities, Gaelic Athletics Association in Birmingham, Erin Go Bragh’s Hurling and Camogie (an Irish stick-and-ball team sport played by women) teams, Na Madrai Golf Society, Birmingham Irish Rugby Club, John Mitchel’s Football Team, Friends of the Earth Cycling Team and Small Heath Boxing Club.

This year’s parade will begin at 12 noon from Camp Hill with hundreds of balloons being released for a charity balloon race, before following Digbeth High Street past traditional Irish pubs, ending on Alcester Street. Traditional favourites including Irish pipes and drums, hundreds of dancers in their dazzling costumes, floats, Irish music Irish dancing, tractors and steam engines will all be taking part in the event.

The parade will be the highlight of this year’s St Patrick’s Festival, which also saw the Lord Mayor of Birmingham officially open an art exhibition by local Catholic Schools at the Fusion Centre at South Birmingham College earlier this month.  The show not only includes works by the local students but is also curated by them as well.  The art exhibition is being coordinated by charity organisation Irish in Birmingham’s Cultural Development coordinator Pat Wright.

The Birmingham St Patrick’s Parade has consistently been recognised as the third largest in the world after Dublin and New York. There have been numerous special guests attending the parade over the years including New York firefighters who came to the city in the aftermath of 9/11. The event brings together people from all backgrounds and nationalities, all celebrating Irish culture and heritage.

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Here’s the highlights from last year’s celebrations:

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