Vintage
Sunday
Parade
After two very long years, the Vintage Sunday Parade made its return on Sunday 31 July 2022.
The centre-piece of Birr Vintage Week & Arts Festival, it was sorely missed due to lockdowns and restrictions during the pandemic.
Our next Vintage Sunday Parade will be on Sunday 6 August 2023. So, get planning now if you would like to be part of!
Contact our Parade Coordinator on birrvintageweekparade@gmail.com if you have any questions.
Sunday 6 August | 3pm
Contact vintageweekevents@gmail.com
About the 2023 Parade
The crown jewel of Birr Vintage Week & Arts Festival returns again this year on Sunday 6 August, 3pm.
Like 2022, this year's parade will be an all-local affair with award-winning nature photographer, Tina Claffey, already announced to give the Opening Address.
To celebrate 55 years, we will also be expanding the Parade this year with a brand-new Community Participation project in collaboration with Cloughjordan Circus Club and Gravity Dance School.
Read on for more details and how you can be part of it!
OPENING ADDRESS
Tina Claffey
We are thrilled to share the news that Tina Claffey will give the Opening Address at this year's Vintage Sunday Parade on 6 August.
Tina is an award-winning nature photographer who has a unique perspective of the flora and fauna of the unspoilt raised bogs and wet woodlands of the Irish midlands.
She has been honoured with awards from highly-prestigious world competitions including International Photography Awards, Fine Art Photography Awards, BigPicture-Natural World Photography, Close Up Photographer of the Year and IGSPOTY (International Garden Photographer of the Year).
One of Birr's shining lights, we're sure you'd agree!
PARADE MC
Emma Nee Haslam
Emma Nee Haslam became a member of the Vintage Week family as vice-chair from 1994 to 1996 and continues to be involved at many levels since then including festival secretary for many years, festival chair in 2007 and currently is a member of our board of directors.
Emma has been the Manager at Birr Theatre & Arts Centre for over twenty two years and has extensive experience in event management, running approx. 180 events per year.
During the past twenty years she established, and currently co-produces, both Hullabaloo! Offaly’s Children’s Arts Festival with Offaly County Council and Scripts Ireland’s Playwriting Festival with Jasango Theatre and was a member of the team that established OFFline Film Festival and Birr Festival of Music.
NATIONAL ANTHEM
Yvonne O'Toole
With over twenty years’ of experience, Irish Soprano Yvonne O'Toole has a number of achievements to date when it comes to her singing career.
Having studied the art of singing from a young age, she holds an honours Diploma in Associate of the Victoria College of Music, London in Performance.
She is also successful with Distinctions in her grades in Voice with The Royal Irish Academy of Music and a number of placements at Feis Ceoil.
Yvonne has also spent the last 16 years performing in the wedding industry throughout Ireland & abroad.
She is also Director of Voice by Yvonne O’Toole. In her singing lessons, she assists and guide young singers from the area to be the best they can be; giving them the tools & knowledge they need to progress their voice and acquire a better understanding of their own instrument..
PARADE GRAND
MARSHALS
Lucie Pardy
Fionn O'Carroll
We're celebrating the two fantastic achievements of Birr's younger generation in the Parade this year.
Secondary school student Lucie Pardy was crowned Under 13 World Champion in Irish dancing in Canada earlier this year.
While fellow Birr native Fionn O'Carroll completed the incredible challenge of rowing across the Atlantic with a team of three other rowers earlier this year.
ACCESSIBLE AREA
NEW THIS YEAR
We are introducing a new designated Accessible at the Parade.
It will be located between Emma's Café and Super Valu on the Main Street
.
There will also be a limited number of accessible parking spaces in the Super Valu car park and it's also acting as a Drop-Off point for the Accessible Area.
Both these locations are open from 2pm.
Our Volunteers will be on site to help too.
AFTER-PARADE ENTERTAINMENT
4pm - 7pm
Green Street
4pm: Vintage Cars on Display
Emmet Square
4.45pm: Frankie Magilligan Comedy Juggling Show
5pm: Children’s Vintage Costume Competition
Courthouse Yard
4.30pm & 6pm: Baubo Theatre
Frankie Magilligan Comedy Juggling Show
With his incredible smile and impeccable fashion sense, Frankie will leave you in stitches with his hilarious antics and incredible juggling skills.
And if that wasn’t enough, he'll be performing on a stunning gold unicycle that will leave you in awe. Frankie's show is the perfect combination of skill, humour, and style, and he'll have you on the edge of your seat as he juggles everything from balls and clubs to knives and fire.
EMMET SQUARE | 4.45PM
CHILDREN'S VINTAGE COSTUME COMPETITION
Get your children into the festival spirit by dressing up in Vintage costume and be in with a chance of winning some great prizes!
EMMET SQUARE | 5PM
BAUBO THEATRE
- Cabinet of Curatrocities
Step right up and prepare to avert your eyes! Hold your breath, hold your tongue, hold your nose... Baubo Theatre’s world-famous Cabinet of Curatrocities is in town. Join the Baron von Munchcracker and the irrepressible Spud as they traverse the nine corners of the earth and the five seas to bring you the sights, sounds and smells of their cabinet of curatrocities. These two hideous and lovable characters use an inventive mix of puppetry, song and dance to tell the tales of how they came by their treasures! Developed with support from the Irish Arts Council and Spraoi Festival as part of the New Emerging Street Talent residency.
COURTHOUSE YARD | 4.30PM & 6PM