With St. Patrick’s Day just a few days away, Cabo Roig is gearing up for a big weekend of festivities.
From parades and activities to bar crawls, wonderful Irish entertainment and food specials, some big things are set to make this St. Paddy’s weekend a special one, not least of which will be the amazing number of floats, dance troupes, drummers and Comparsas taking part, so pull out that green shirt from the back of your closet and start practicing that bad Irish accent while enjoying some of the St. Paddy’s Day celebrations!
While the entertainment will cover the entire weekend, the Cabo Roig parade itself is scheduled to get underway at 3pm on Sunday, 17th March. It will start at the junction of Calle’s Agua with del Mar and then meander along the back of the Cabo Roig Strip, into Calle Cielo before returning to the starting point.
According to the parade Facebook page, which is regularly updated by organiser Brian Kiernan, a total of 43 troupes will take part in the spectacle.
The show will kick off with a circuit of the entire route by a number of classic cars and bikes, but that is just a ‘warm up’ for what is then to follow.
As the exhaust fumes settle it will be the time for the main event, the parade itself, led, as ever, by Torrevieja Pipes and Drums, followed by St Patrick himself, in the guise of local resident, Jose Antonio Marcia del Amo.
Thereafter we would expect to see the Grand Marshall, former MEP and Ireland Government Minister, Pat ‘the Cope’ Gallagher who will no doubt be shepherded around the route by a plethora of local politicians, and then, get your camera’s ready for what promises to be a spectacle that you will not forget, the biggest parade to date and the largest in the whole of mainland Europe.
But as we reiterate year on year, these parades don’t organise or fund themselves, and, in the Case of the St Patrick’s Day Parade, there has been a dedicated team of organisers and fundraisers working hard all year round.
As might be expected, in recent weeks we have seen a surge in supporting activities with monies raised at golf events, tenpin bowling, raffles, race nights, the Trinity walk and even sponsored haircuts at the Bay Barbershop, adding to the pot.
These activities have all been led by the hardworking committee and their group of dedicated helpers, including Brian and Jimmy Kiernan, Ger Flanagan, Niall O’Riordan, Hugh Mcildowney, Milo Byrne and his son Rory, Elizabeth Ward, Dolores Molloy, Marina Herron.
There are no doubt many more like Kiki in the phone shop, staff at Bar Liquid, McCafferty’s, Havanna Bar, Cladagh, Bushwacka and Morgans Bar, who are still organising raffles in the days leading up to the main event.
And there is still even more to come, with a race night taking place in O’Riordans this coming Wednesday, which is expected to contribute another chunk to the total pot, every cent of which is spent on the parade, usually well in excess of 15,000 euro.
As ever one local charity will also benefit from the parade and this year the chosen charity is the Samaritans in Spain who do such good work across the local area, so do dig out that spare change, or even that spare note, as you see them patrolling alongside the parade with their buckets.
This promises to be a day full of family fun, which the whole International Community can enjoy in a safe environment, a day when the Irish, Spanish, British and many other nationalities come together with crowds expected once again to top over 15,000 spectators.
So get ready to don your green attire and immerse yourself in the festivities as St. Patrick’s Day sweeps across Cabo Roig this coming weekend.
The Day holds a special place in the hearts of the Irish, and Orihuela Costa is no exception, so there will be no apology for the traditional music and the lively dance performances, as the area comes alive with the essence of Irish culture and community spirit.
So do go along….You are all invited to join in the festivities, and enjoy the 11th Edition of the Cabo Roig St Patrick’s Day Parade which promises to by the biggest and the best yet.
