Lord Mayor, Cllr. Mary Shields is delighted to announce George Hook has officially accepted the invitation to be the Grand Marshal for the Cork St. Patrick’s Day Parade 2015. Mr Hook, who is a Cork native, will lead the parade alongside the Lord Mayor.

The parade, which commences on South Mall at 1pm on March 17^th, will descend onto Grand Parade, St. Patrick’s St. and finish on Merchants Quay.  Featuring commissions such as Dowtcha Puppets and Cork Community Art Link as well as street theatre companies Spraoi, Buí Bolg and LUXe the parade is guaranteed to be a celebration full of colour, creativity and culture.

Welcoming the announcement Lord Mayor, Cllr. Mary Shields said: “George Hook, a national broadcaster, author, humanitarian and ambassador, is a passionate Cork native who embraces his culture and nationality. This makes him an ideal Grand Marshal for this year’s parade, which centres on culture as its theme.”

Speaking about his role as Grand Marshal George Hook commented: “As a proud Corkman I am most honoured to be part of the City’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade.  It is vital that we keep alive the important traditions and festivals of our nation and I am delighted to partake in the unique celebration of our Country’s patron Saint.”

The Cork St. Patrick’s Festival is running over a four day period from Saturday March 14^th to Tuesday March 17^th and will feature a host of events including, the parade, the food market, street performances, the Festival Food Map, traditional live music as part of The Lee Sessions and the newest addition to the programme, the St. Paddy’s Day Fleadh at the Cork Opera House.

To facilitate the St. Patrick’s Festival celebrations free parking will be available. The Black Ash Park ‘n’ Ride will be free on Saturday 14^th and Tuesday 17^th March, and there will be free parking at the two Council car parks (Paul Street and North Main Street) on Saturday 14^th between the hours of 10am and 12 noon. No parking discs will be required on Sunday 15^th and Tuesday 17^th March.

There will be a live stream of the parade for those who cannot attend on the day. The link will be available on the Cork St. Patrick’s Festival website:  www.corkstpatricksfestival.ie

The Cork St. Patrick’s Festival is organised by Cork City Council and is proudly supported by Cork Airport, Cork’s 96 FM, C103 FM and the Evening Echo.