The Annual Kate Kennedy
Spring Procession
The history of the event, College Echoes and details on the upcoming Procession held on Saturday 19.04.2025
A Brief History
Each Spring, the Club organises the annual Kate Kennedy Spring Procession. The Spring Procession traces its roots to ancient, medieval, pagan, and Christian spring rites, with fifers commemorating "Cath Cinneachaidh."
Legend has it that in the fifteenth century the beautiful niece of Bishop James Kennedy, Lady Katharine came to stay, in the spring of her life and the spring of the year. Idolised by all a festival emerged from two separate origins, and it became Kate Kennedy’s Day.
By the nineteenth century the procession had begun to degenerate, and, at last, on the 5th March 1881, the Procession was banned by university authorities.
However, on the 5th March 1926 Kate reappeared in a splendour never before accorded to her, in the familiar format that we see today. This was thanks to the two students Donald Kennedy and James Doak, inspired by J. M Barrie’s rectorial address on “Courage”, with the assistance of Principle Sir James Irvine.
Since 1926, the Club has taken pride in maintaining the tradition of Kate’s spring Procession each year, with the exception of the WWII and Covid periods.
Today the event celebrates the town’s rich history, and will see over 150 students, locals and university staff dress up in historical costumes, re-enacting prominent figures who have made an impact on St Andrews.
The Upcoming 99th Annual Kate Kennedy Procession, 2025
The upcoming Procession will be held on Saturday 19/04/2025, beginning at 2pm. The Procession will depart from St Salvator’s Quadrangle, and parade down North Street, Market Street and South Street.
The 98th Annual Kate Kennedy Procession, 2024
On Saturday 13th April 2024, the 98th Annual Kate Kennedy Spring Procession took to the roads of St Andrews. With hundreds of spectators lining the streets, eagerly anticipating the mystical Lady Katharine, the bells of St Salvator’s Chapel chimed and the gates to the Quadrangle were opened. The City of St Andrews Pipe Band marched out, their music proudly echoing across the ‘auld grey toon’, as they led over a millennium of Scottish history and heritage coming back to life. For those two hours, the splendour of the Procession is intoxicating. With intricate designs and grand gestures, the nearly 200 characters and shields represent a way of escaping the present, and allow you to embrace the bizarre culture of this corner of Fife.
Moreover, I would like to extend a large thank you to the Community Trust, whose kindness ensured that the Procession could continue in the face of unprecedented circumstances. At the same time, we are immensely grateful to all parties who participate in the preservation of this great tradition.
Will Press, Marshal of the 98th Kate Kennedy Annual Spring Procession
