Parades galore as Derry, Strabane, Moville, Buncran and Dungiven gear up for St Patrick's Day
The north west will be cloaked in a sea of green on Tuesday as tens of thousands gather in Derry, Strabane, Moville, Buncrana and Dungiven to celebrate St Patrick’s Day.
Parades are planned across the region with Derry’s Spring Carnival parade making its way through the city centre from 3pm, and bracketed by a wider programme of music and celebrations throughout the day,
Strabane’s 20th St Patrick’s Day parade will move off from Holy Cross College at 2pm on Tuesday and the celebrations will include live music, children’s activities and arts and crafts in the town.
In Moville and Buncrana there are two multi-day programmes of events starting today, Friday and leading up to Tuesday’s parades.
Moville’s parade gets under way at 2.30pm, with live music in the Square by Irish folk rock group The Porter Bellys from 2pm to 5pm.
Buncrana’s parade will begin at 3pm, with music in the town centre and a vintage car display at the Shore Front starting earlier at 1.30pm.
In Dungiven, the bands will lead the parade as it moves off at 2.30pm, with a whole range of children’s activities and live music in the town planned.
Police in Derry & Strabane have urged those joining the celebrations to expect some disruption, and said they will be setting up checkpoints alongside An Garda Síochána as ‘a very visible, physical deterrent to anyone thinking about drink or drug driving’.
Inspector Cathal Pearce said: "We hope everyone enjoys the festivities, and has a safe and enjoyable day.
“Due to the size, length and routes of the main parades in the city and in Strabane, there will be an impact on traffic, so we encourage anyone on planning on attending events, or visiting, to plan ahead and leave extra time for your journey. We also encourage people to be aware of parking arrangements and, when parking, to do so legally and safely.
"Throughout this weekend and public holiday, our officers will be on patrol when many people will be socializing and be out and about, in particular during the night-time economy.
“If you are planning on visiting bars, clubs or restaurants, we’d ask you plan your journey home by public transport, taxi or a designated driver.
“We want to highlight our ‘Ask for Angela’ scheme, and a number of local businesses are participating. By asking for ‘Angela’, a person who may be feeling uncomfortable or feel unsafe within a licensed venue can quickly alert staff.