Just a few photos from the short but colourful and noisy St Patrick’s Day Parade in Blarney this year. This parade proved more popular than other years as cars parked as far away as the park I live in. I don’t remember that ever happening before! Well done to everyone who took part! [gallery ids="7804,7805,7806,7807,7808,7809,7810,7811,7812,7813,7814,7815,7816,7818,7819,7820,7821,7822,7823,7824,7825,7826,7827,7828,7829,7830"]

I took part in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade here in Blarney today along with my son and wife. We walked with the Community Preschool group and I am utterly amazed at the stamina of young kids! Little 3 and 4 year olds walked around Blarney and still had energy left to play with bubbles…

Big smile for the Parade! I think it’s safe to say this was the biggest smile of St. Patrick’s Day Parade 2008 for me. Nobody in the crowd was smiling anyway. They were all too squashed in or straining to see over the heads of those in front.

I can see the parade! Some people go to all lengths to watch the St. Patrick’s Day Parade as these kids show. Congrats to my friends John and Ann on the birth of their son Caelin yesterday. You’re lives are going to change *so much* but you’re going to have a great time with the…

A young leprechaun in the crowd Squashed in on St Patrick’s Day.

La le Phadraig ar Sraid Phadraig Children look out of an upstairs window in Merchants Quay shopping centre. When I took this shot I didn’t even see them! I was concentrating on the kids in the foreground with their flags. I think they frame the street sign rather nicely and ties in with the name…

The Grumpy Lepruachan If you’re going to sit up on a high wall wearing a funny hat you could at least look happy that you have a great position to see the St Patrick’s Day Parade. No, I didn’t see this fella smile at all. A year before the wall was taken over by photographers…

St. Patrick’s Day Tricolour Girl A young girl leans on a traffic light where she has a bird’s eye view of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Cork.

A flavour of the St Patrick’s Day festivities and people who attended the Parade in Cork yesterday. Special Olympics Team Some of the Special Olympics Team took part in the parade and as I said yesterday, it was strange to see only them on the street with nobody else about. Everyone cheered them on however…

St. Patrick’s Day is for the kids A young girls waves her Irish flag in the air after spotting part of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Cork approaching. I shot several decent shots but it’s late and I’m tired. I was quite disappointed with the parade and left after half an hour. Like previous…

Is it a bird, is it a plane, no! It’s the sky! I have no idea what they were looking at because there wasn’t anything flying overhead. Better than waiting for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade to start I suppose! Taken on Paddy’s Day this year on Patrick’s Street, or Panna as it’s locally known.

Thomas in his buggy Thomas, a young boy in his buggy on Patrick’s Day this year. He’s well wrapped up against the cold. I have no idea who he is, so hopefully his name is Thomas, and that’s not some famous brand I’m not aware of.