Stormont cash boost will make St Patrick’s Day Festival the biggest ever

Stormont cash boost will make St Patrick’s Day Festival the biggest ever

3 February 2016

A BIGGER and better St Patrick’s Festival in Downpatrick is on the cards thanks to a cash injection from Stormont.

Newry, Mourne and Down Council has received funding from the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First 

Minister to help improve many aspects of the festival which this year will be a joint event between Downpatrick and Newry.

Organisers say they are “pulling out all the stops” to ensure a great time will be had by all, with a fun packed programme on offer including Irish bands, Irish dancers, music and dance shows, arts and cultural performances, re-enactments, choral performances, walking and pilgrimage events, film launches and much more. 

The Festival’s theme for 2016 is ‘Feasts and Wild Beasts’ and everyone will be encouraged to get into the festival atmosphere by dressing up to celebrate.

Council Chairman, Mickey Ruane, said the Festival has a programme to offer over the nine days.

“It is fantastic to have secured additional financial support to help deliver the Festival from OFMDFM,” he said.

“This will be used to develop the festival as an attractor to the area, working with the community to enhance the spectacle in Newry City and Downpatrick and to promote our patron saint to the Irish Diasporas across the world, particularly in the USA. We thank the department for their support in this regard.”