Galway Bay fm newsroom – Concerns are being expressed that this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the city could be once again ‘hi-jacked’ by political elements.
At this week’s meeting of Galway City Council, Councillor Padraig Conneely said that last year, a political protest group joined the parade somewhere along the route.
City official Gary McMahon agreed that all participants in the parade should be non-political – and he said that they would be working with a security company, the Gardai and the Civil Defense to monitor this year’s event.
Councillor Conneely says the parade is a family event and should not be used to broadcast political messages.
Meanwhile, the city’s business community is making a significant investment in marking St. Patrick’s Day next week following severe criticism over last year’s celebrations.
Councillor Neil McNeilis says that the community has stepped up this year with a ‘serious’ amount of investment.