Preparations for this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade are under way, but the importance of donations from the public are being stressed ahead of next week’s celebrations.

Parade-goers are encouraged to support the parade by making a small donation to a bucket collection on the day, as Chairperson of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade committee, Deirde Healy-McGowan, explained.

“Without people putting money in that bucket collection on the day, the parade would not be able to survive. That bucket collection done on the day is to keep the parade going for the following year. All people have to give to the collection is €1 per person and that would save the parade year on year.”

The parade is considered hugely important and that a place such as Sligo must be in a position to hold one.

“We did a bucket collection last week for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and there were two elderly ladies giving us money and I was explaining to them that we nearly lost the parade last year due to lack of funding and they were astounded,”Deirdre said.

“It would really drain the heart out of the people of Sligo when you look at other places like China, India and Dubai holding a parade and if the people didn’t have a parade to celebrate they probably wouldn’t even bother getting out of their beds if it wasn’t for the parade.”

Meanwhile, preparations for the upcoming parade are entering their final stages with the big day coming in just one week.

“Preparations are in full swing at the moment. We have a lot of applications in already. Last year we had an outstanding number of participants so this year we hope for more again. We have a couple of surprises in line too, every year we try to something a little bit different in the parade to make it exciting and this year will be no different.”

The theme for this year’s parade is 1916 Commemorations. Applications must be made online at stpatricksdaysligo.com.

Following the parade, Sligo Inter-cultural Forum will be holding a celebration in Gilooly Hall.

The event is open to all. For more information contact Kebba at 086-1918758 or Cathy on 083-8405494.

While opinion remains divided on the likely shape of the next government there appears to be agreement between the four TDs elected to represent Sligo Leitrim that a united approach is needed for the good of this region.

Following their election after last weekend’s marathon two-day count at the Clarion Hotel in Sligo, all four spoke of the need for more resources for the constituency so that this area can share in the recovery being talked of in the east of the country.

See this week’s Sligo Weekender newspaper for ten pages of election coverage. In shops now.

Sligo town and Tubbercurry libraries will host a fascinating talk and presentation on Monday next, February 22 about the 1916 Rising.

The package, entitled “Paths to Freedom” will be presented in Tubbercurry Library at 10.30am by historians Oliver Fallon, Ian Kenneally and RTE presenter Turtle Bunbury.

Then at 7pm in Sligo Central Library in Stephen Street, well known historian, writer and presenter Myles Dungan and historian Maurice O’Keeffe will give the presentation.

Both events are completely free to the public, but due to limited space, booking is essential. Phone 071-9111721 to reserve your seat.

“Paths To Freedom” is aimed at explaining the many “shades of green” that existed in the run-up to the Easter Rising, and to show that the so-called ‘long decade’, 1912-1923, was a pivotal decade in our nation.

Fronted by RTE broadcasters Myles Dungan and Turtle Bunbury, the event focuses on the changing nature of Irish life and politics in the years leading up to independence, and explains that the Rising was part of a wider narrative, not the whole story.

Meanwhile, Pegasus Consulting, who put together “Paths To Freedom” will bring their new musical production “The Count, The Countess & The Tommy” to King House in Boyle, Co. Roscommon (in May) and The Dock in Carrick-on-Shannon (September) as part of a limited nationwide tour.

The show, written by Myles Dungan, will feature the music of Count John McCormack, sung by baritones Simon Morgan and Brendan Mac Quaile and Mezzo-Soprano Lisa Lambe.

The Model’s new series, Meet the Makers, was launched last Saturday by Mayor of Sligo, Cllr. Thomas Healy.

Visitors had the opportunity to meet Grainne MacLoughlin of Breeogue Pottery and Ana Vahey of Ana Faye Leather Bags, to learn about techniques used in their making process and to view a range of their handcrafted products showcased on the day.

Adults and children alike were fascinated to watch Grainne demonstrate the decoration process involved in her beautiful Breeogue butter dish, whilst Ana explained how she goes about designing new collections, and the colours we can expect for spring.

Visitors were also able to purchase Anna’s and Grainne’s wares as well as those of other local craftspeople, from The Model Shop.

The next two Meet the Makers events take place on Saturday, February 20, 3-4pm with Matt Jones Woodturner and Saturday, February 27, 3-4pm with Ian Carty Ceramics.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny was very keen to try to gloss over the controversy of sitting Sligo TD John Perry’s failure to get a nomination and the subsequent High Court action by Mr Perry to be added to the ticket.

Questioned about it at a press conference for local media at the Sligo Park Hotel yesterday, Wednesday, morning, Mr Kenny said: “That’s past.”

He added: “We have our team now, John, Gerry and Tony. Every constituency is a battlefield and every seat is a challenge. Even in my constituency, and in every constituency, there are always political rivalries.”

When it was pointed out that those rivalries don’t generally end up in the High Court, he said: “That matter was resolved and dealt with and John Perry is a member of the Fine Gael team here in Sligo, Leitrim, south Donegal and west Cavan”.~

Asked can Fine Gael hold their two seats here, he replied confidently: “Yes” and went on to elebatorate why, citing Fine Gael’s policies to continue the economic recovery. The issue was raised again at a press conference for national media in the Avalon Centre.

However, Mr Kenny dismissed the question as “irrelevant”. He said they now had “a formidable trio” and said: “It is going to be a very enthusiastically fought election here.” For his part John Perry was also keen to regard the matter as water under the bridge.

“It was political, it was never personal. I respect him as the leader of the party. He is doing a wonderful job”, he told the Weekender.

Indeed he said that he didn’t hold Mr Kenny “personally responsible” for what happened. He said it was party general secretary Tom Curran, but he said he didn’t hold “any animosity towards him either”.

Mr Kenny was accompanied at the Avalon Centre by Minister for Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys to launch Fine Gael’s plans for Supporting Older People, promising an increase in the State pension of €25 a week by 2021, an increase in the living alone allowance, a cap on prescription charges at €17.50 and enhanced supports for older people to help them live independently in their own homes.

They were welcomed to the Avalon centre by manager Paul Toland, who pointed out that the centre had been in operation since 1961 and provided a day care programme four days a week for about 80 older people. And he said that including the various other activities in the centre they catered for people from as young as 3 up to their oldest participant who was 100.

Sinn Féín president Gerry Adams visited County Sligo this week to support local candidate Chris MacManus, one of two Sinn Fein hopefuls in the four-seat Sligo-Leitrim constituency.

Mr Adams, himself a TD for Louth attended a rally to support Mr MacManus’ campaign in the Sligo Park Hotel on Tuesday night which was attended by around 300 supporters. And on Wednesday he unveiled a new billboard in Collooney highlighting the emigration figures from County Sligo in recent years.

While in Collooney, Deputy Adams also spoke on Ocean FM and addressed comments he recently made about the Special Criminal Court.

He claimed that his comments had been “hyped out of all proportion” and it was a ploy used to score political points.

“We’re talking about organised crime which can be tackled and it’s not us [Sinn Féín] that have been soft on crime. It is the government which has allowed conditions to prevail where these gangs think that they are above the law.”

At the rally in the Sligo Park Hotel, Mr Adams had outlined the Sinn Féin strategy for the constituency and pledged that his party would not form a government as a junior partner. Also in attendance on the evening were outgoing Sinn Fein TD Micheal Colreavy who is not seeking re-election and Chris MacManus’ running mate, Leitrim’s Martin Kenny.

The Love Leitrim campaign group are organising a public meeting with general election candidates on Saturday, February 13 in Manorhamilton.

The meeting, which will be mediated by the chairman of Love Leitrim, Johnny Gogan, will take place in the Bee Park Centre, starting at 8pm.

Candidates who attend will each have a few minutes to speak, which will be followed by a question and answer session from the floor.