In Australia, St Patrick’s Day celebrations have taken place on 17 March since 1810, when the then Governor, Lachlan Macquarie, declared the date an official day of celebration for the Irish and those of Irish heritage.  200 years later, we are still celebrating with an annual street parade and family day on the third Sunday of March – this year on Sunday 21st March 2010.The Sydney St Patrick’s Day Parade is the second largest in the world, after the New York celebrations.

The Parade commences at midday and starts at the corner of Town Hall on George Street and Bathurst Street continuing to Park St and around Elizabeth St, ending at Hyde Park near St James Station. The fun continues with the Family Day in Hyde Park, opening from 1pm to 7pm.

The Sydney St Patrick’s Day Parade & Family Day comprises of an annual Parade. Our very own ‘St Patrick’ leads the Parade through the streets of Sydney. The title of ‘St Patrick’ has, over the years become a much-coveted role, each year members of the Irish Community in Sydney nominate a suitable representative to fulfil the role.  Every year the Parade entrants and spectators fill the streets of Sydney all shades of green and of course those dedicated Gaelic Football fans wear their county colours with pride.

The Parade will have over 70 floats and marching groups participating this year including County floats through to Irish sports organisation floats, Irish dancing school displays as well as a host of musical entertainment - and for those who missed this year’s Irish Bachelor of the Year Awards, all 11 bachelors will be on the Man Float!

Those at Town Hall will hear MCs tell the crowds about each of the floats, while Parade’s four judges - Sydney Swans AFL and Kerry GAA footballer Tadhg Kennelly; ARIA winner and pop sensation Damien Leith; Home and Away’s Lynn McGranger and Donna Campbell from Tourism Ireland - decide on the winning entry, which will be announced later in the day at the Hyde Park main stage.

The Sydney St Patrick’s Day Parade & Family Day has a broad range of activities for the young and the young at heart.  Irish festivities take over the surroundings of Sydney’s Hyde Park for a day, where spectators can enjoy a range of traditional and modern Irish music performed from the main stage.  This year the crowds will enjoy Eleanor McEvoy as the headline act on the main-stage. McEvoy has been an international music sensation since her debut album in 1993 and the past year has seen this Irish songstress release her latest album ‘Love Must Be Tough’. Other acts on the day include Sydney’s musical favourites Blackwater and Achtung Baby – The Ultimate U2 Experience.  Irish dancers and set dancers are an important part of the festivities with several performances throughout the day showcasing the best of Irish culture. Food stands will serve Irish food and snacks and the beverage stands will cater for all tastes, from Irish tea to a good old glass of Guinness!

There is a designated children’s area in Hyde Park, where families with young children can enjoy learning about Irish culture and music through story-telling and a Bodhran workshop. Children can also enjoy face painting, bouncy castles, clowns, animal rides and music performances.

This year will also see Australian residents become Australian citizens in the annual citizenship ceremony held at Hyde Park. Many Irish people choose to take part in the citizenship ceremony at the Sydney St Patrick’s Day Parade & Family Day as a way of recognising that although they are becoming Australian citizens, their Irish background will always be close to their hearts.

In 2009 over 100,000 participated in Sydney St Patrick’s Day celebrations and that figure is expected to increase for the 2010 Sydney St Patrick’s Parade & Family Day.

The Sydney St Patrick’s Day Parade is organised by a group of volunteers from the Irish-Australian community. As a non-profit organisation, financial support is key to the continuing success of the Sydney St Patrick’s Day celebrations through fundraising throughout the year, Friends of St Patrick membership and the ever-popular Irish Bachelor of the Year event.

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For more information please contact:
Mary Hickey
Marketing Manager

On Saturday 20th February, 11 of Sydney’s hottest Irish bachelors competed in the Sydney St Patrick’s Day Irish Bachelor of the Year Awards competition, a key fundraising event for the annual Sydney St Patrick’s Day Parade and Family Day. The winner was Tyrone man from Derrylaughan Paddy Coary.
 
The shocked 23 year old quantity surveyor was announced overall winner of the Irish Bachelor of the Year 2010 in a unanimous vote by all four judges. The audience stood to ovation at his performance piece, a swing dance with a female partner to Michael Buble's 'Haven't Met You Yet' after he told the audience about his love of the the Aussie lifestyle of BBQs and Bondi Beach, but still gets to enjoy GAA by playing with Sydney team Penrith Gaels.  He misses his family most and told guests that he can't wait to go home to attend two weddings later this year.
 
As well as being interviewed by Judges before the event, on the night all were interviewed on stage and performed a party piece. Bachelors also had one more challenge this year. Over the past two months special guest judge Deirdre Prendergast has been the voice for the single, female Irishwoman in Australia. Each bachelor was charged with taking Deirdre on a fun, thoughtful date costing no more than AUD$50.  Paddy's date was taking Deirdre on a kayaking trip in Sydney Harbour.
 
An audience of 400 guests were treated to an evening at the grand ballroom of the Four Seasons Hotel. The panel of judges includes veteran Sydney St Patrick’s Day Bachelor of the Year judge Home and Away actor Lynn McGranger, Irish radio personality Michael Lyons and Dubliner Deirdre Prendergast.

Paddy was sponsored by Taste Ireland, the online Irish grocery store for Australia and New Zealand, owned by Eamon Eastwood, who is originally from Cookstown. Eamon said: "We were delighted when Paddy agreed with a little persuasion to take part in the competition on behalf of Taste Ireland. He's so modest and such an affable guy, he really stood out as a natural winner on the night and we're thrilled he won!"
 
Paddy receives a prize of return flights to Ireland.  

The Sydney St Patrick’s Day Irish Bachelor of the Year is the signature fundraising event for the Sydney St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Family Day. It is currently in its eighth year.

ENDS

Pictured here: Paddy announced winner of Sydney Irish Bachelor of the Year 2010 by judge Deirdre Prendergast. Photo by Shane O'Neill, at the ball at the Four Seasons Hotel,Sydney.

For more Information contact:
Mary Hickey
Tel: +61 414 652 442
Email:  media@stpatricksday.org.au
Website: www.stpatricksday.org.au

Background to the Sydney St Patrick’s Day Parade and Family Day

In Australia, St Patrick’s Day celebrations have taken place on 17 March since 1810, when the then Governor, Lachlan Macquarie, declared the date an official day of celebration for the Irish and those of Irish heritage.
 
200 years later, we are still celebrating with an annual street parade and family day on the third Sunday of March – this year on Sunday 21 March 2010.
 
The Parade commences at midday at starts at the corner of Town Hall on George Street and Bathurst Street continuing to Park St and around Elizabeth St, ending at Hyde Park near St James Station.  The fun continues with the Family Day in Hyde Park, opening from 1pm to 7pm.
 
The Family Day will have something for everyone, from entertainment on the Main Stage from Irish musicians and dancers, to the colourful interactive Children’s Area. Food stands will serve Irish food and snacks and the beverage stands will cater for all tastes, from Irish tea to a good old glass of Guinness!
 
The Sydney St Patrick’s Day Parade is organised by a group of volunteers from the Irish-Australian community. As a non-profit organisation, financial support is key to the continuing success of the Sydney St Patrick’s Day celebrations through fundraising throughout the year, Friends of St Patrick membership and the ever-popular Irish Bachelor of the Year event.

Date: 20 February 2010
Time: 6.30pm drinks reception
Venue: The Grand Ballroom, The Four Seasons Hotel, George St, Sydney
Event: Irish Bachelor of the Year Awards Gala Dinner, fundraiser for the Sydney St Patrick's Day Parade and Family Day
Cost: $165 per person.
Book online at: http://www.facebook.com/l/51da9;www.stpatricksday.org.au/bachelor-of-the-year-tickets/

The Sydney St Patrick's Day Committee is delighted to announce the 2010 Irish Bachelor of the Year Awards will take place on Saturday 20th February 2010, at the Four Seasons Hotel Grand Ballroom, George St, Sydney.

The Gala dinner will include a sumptuous sit down three-course meal and drinks package to midnight for 400 guests, commencing with a welcome reception at 6.30pm. The evening will include entertainment, fundraising raffles, the Bachelor finalist interviews and talent section, culminating with our winning Irish Bachelor of the Year 2010 being announced by our judges. The night will continue with music and dancing until 1am (cash bar only from midnight - 1am.)

Tickets available NOW, priced $165 per person, available individually or for tables of 10.

The Four Seasons Hotel is offering a special rate for guests of the Irish Bachelor of the Year on the night of 20th February, please quote Bachelor of the Year when booking to avail of a 15% discount to standard rates.

Bachelor finalists to be announced on Friday.

The Sydney St Patrick’s Day Parade and Family Day Committee would like to call for Parade float entries for this year’s Sydney St Patrick’s Day Parade to be held on Sunday 21^st March 2010.

The Committee would once again love to see all 32 counties represented as with the past two years.  Many counties always do well with numbers, but many more still need people to come forward and be part of the Parade and get involved in the floats.

If you are not sure if your county has a float entered, go to ‘Parade’ section of the Sydney St Patrick’s Day website: www.stpatricksday.org.au where you will find a full list of the County Associations who will be able to help you.

Parade Manager John Lane said “We are already seeing a great number of people applying to enter floats in the parade and we’d love to have all 32 counties represented. But don’t forget, you can also enter a float for your business, Irish Dancing School, GAA or other sports teams, or to represent any community within the Irish-Australian community here in New South Wales.

He offered the following advice: “Think creatively when coming up with a theme for your float.  We’re looking for fun, entertaining floats that really stand out from each other and since this is a very special year – it’s the 200^th anniversary of St Patrick’s Day celebrations in New South Wales – so the more imaginative the better and we’ll make this the best Parade yet!”

For further queries contact Parade Manager John Lane at parade@stpatricksday.org.au .  Application deadline for floats is Friday 5th March 2010.

Famous Irish pub, Bondi Junction’s Cock’n’Bull is looking for Sydney’s wittiest and most charming Irish Bachelor to represent the bar at the upcoming Sydney St Patrick's Day Parade Bachelor of the Year next February.
 
Mr Cock’N’Bull is seeking Sydney's most eligible Irish men – or men of Irish decent – with the wit, gift of the gab and talent to sweep any girl off her feet.  You should be living in New South Wales as a resident or on a holiday visa, single and between 20 and 40 to enter the Awards.
 
The heat will be held at 8pm on Saturday 12th December 2009 at The Cock’N’Bull. Entry forms should be filled out and dropped into the entry box at the bar by 8th December. Finalists will be notified and the event on 12th December will include a night of entertainment, interviews, party pieces and plenty of craic!
 
All finalists taking part in the Mr Cock’n’Bull heats will be in with the chance of winning prizes for the first three placed Bachelors: a 2 for 1 Whitsunday sailing cruise, two Sunburnt Christmas Tickets (the Bondi Christmas party), special edition Magners packs and double passes to see the Wolfe Tones in Sydney.
 
The Mr Cock’n’Bull winner will then join 12 other Bachelors to compete in the Sydney St Patrick's Day Parade Irish Bachelor of the Year Awards on Saturday 20 February 2010 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney. The event will be attended by 400 guests at a formal gala dinner, where Bachelors will be interviewed and perform a party piece. The judging panel will then announce the winner.
 
Along with international recognition as Sydney's most eligible Irish man and admiration from the ladies of Australia, the man crowned  Irish Bachelor of the Year 2010 wins return flights to Ireland and $1,000 spending money. 
 
All proceeds from the overall Awards go to the Sydney St Patrick's Day Parade and Family Day 2010 – making the Parade bigger and better for everyone.
 
Ends

For more information, please contact:
 
Mary Hickey
Media and Marketing Manager
St Patrick’s Day Parade and Family Day/ Bachelor of the Year Awards 2010
 
Tel:         0414 652 442
Email:    media@stpatricksday.org.au