Galway Bay fm newsroom - Galway's government Ministers are to represent the west of Ireland at St. Patrick's Day celebrations worldwide today.
It comes as thousands are expected to line the streets city and county wide as part of the iconic annual celebration of culture.*
Gaeltacht Minister and Galway West TD Sean Kyne will be in Boston today to promote Ireland and support efforts to secure foreign direct investment.
Minister of State and Galway East TD Sean Canney will be in Sofia in Bulgaria for the national day after already holding high level meetings in Athens in Greece and in Bucharest in Romania in recent days.
Minister of State and Galway East TD Ciaran Cannon will be in Seattle today having already travelled to Vancouver and Calgary in recent days.
Tuam native Minister of State Finian McGrath will be visiting Mexico and Cuba as part of his St. Patrick's Day schedule.
Back home the annual event will be celebrated in style across towns and villages with the first of Galway's parades kicking off in the city at 11.30am.
The theme of this years parade is ‘diversity’ and the parade will feature an array of community, cultural, sporting and international groups including Ireland’s pioneering spectacle theatre company Macnas.
The shortened parade route will begin from NUIG Quadrangle and finish at Prospect Hill.
To the county and the Athenry parade kicks off at 11.45 after mass with a theme based on fish and water.
Spiddal parade will also kick off at 11.45 after mass.
This is followed by Mountbellew where the parade kicks off at midday with Tuam Stars gymnasts entertaining the crowd in the square beforehand.
In Craughwell, a mini parade will get underway at 12.30 with a 'shake-your-shamrock' fun run for kids.
The parade in Oughterard gets underway at 1 with celebrations continuing until 3pm.
The parade in Cong gets underway at 12.30.
The parade in Headford begins at 12.45 but for early arrivals there will be music in the square by Drumadore as well as a kids' tractor run.
Kinvara's parade gets underway at 1 with the theme this year focused on Irish legends and folklore, while a special prize will be awarded for the shiniest tractor.
In Loughrea, the parade begins from Barrack Street at 1pm with a theme based on 'reduce, reuse and recycle.
In Tuam, the parade gets underway at 1.45 with this year's theme 'Go Green for Tuam's wellbeing'.
In Ballinasloe, the parade kicks off at 2 from the Fair Green with prizes to be awarded across five categories.
The Moycullen parade also has a start time of 2pm from Sweeneys with a theme of 'Moycullen through the years'.
Oranmore will host the last of Galway's parades with the floats taking to the streets at 3.30pm from Joyce's carpark at Oran Town Centre.
A number of other towns and villages are marking the national day with community festivals.
Claregalway's activities will be based at an all-weather tent in the courtyard at the rear of Hughes Supervalu from noon to 3.30.
Salthill is hosting a family fun day with activities getting underway at 12.30 at the outdoor stage in front of Seapoint.
In Aughrim, the parade will take place tomorrow bank holiday Monday at 4pm.
In Gort, the parade begins from Church Street at 12.30 on Monday and will be led by Grand Marshal Joe Healy, the President of the IFA.
