The Kate Kennedy Procession is the main event of the Kate Kennedy Club and the one around which the Club was founded. The origins of the Spring Procession can be found in ancient and mediaeval, pagan and Christian festivals about the rites of spring. Spring festivals existed worldwide and were connected with early beliefs of immortality. Fifers celebrated “cath cinneachaidh”, which is Gaelic for the struggle for growth or the return of Spring.

By the nineteenth century the procession had begun to degenerate. Sometimes it was a burlesque, at others a pageant proper. Finally it became unlicensed and was often banned, but always to reappear, always to be talked of as a great day in the city of the scarlet gown. At last, on the 5th of March 1881, Kate was banished forever by the Senatus. That day a cruel blizzard swept over Scotland, St Andrews was drenched with sea-water and the bay was lashed by a furious storm. The students thinking this was the last desperate kick of winter continued their revels. Meantime the ships Harmonie and Merlin were driven onto the rocks. The revellers streamed down to the bay to lend their aid, leaving the procession to fade into the annals of history. The University officials seized upon the mournful occasion to suppress the festival, which had steadily become more unbridled and had lampooned members of staff. Kate and her followers were ringed with statutes and it was hoped that she would be forgotten.

However, in 1926 two students, Donald Kennedy and James Doak, inspired by J.M. Barrie's Rectorial address on "Courage" on 3rd May 1922, and with the assistance of Principal Sir James Irvine, revived The Kate Kennedy Spring Procession. Each year since then, both Town and Gown assemble to form a crowd of hundreds on the streets of St Andrews to celebrate the lives and contributions of some of the great men and women of the town and university. We hope that you can join us on Saturday 19th April for the 76th annual Procession.