At today’s (Thursday 29th February 2024) meeting of Renfrewshire Council, all the councillors agreed to re-instate the traditional route for the Paisley Sma’ Shot Day event.
A few weeks ago the local newspaper – the Paisley Daily Express – revealed that council officers were planning to change the route of the Sma’ Shot procession, ending in Shuttle Street, Paisley and removing the traditional ‘Burning of the Cork’ from the event.
This led to two motions at the council meeting and an amendment from Cllr Kenny MacLaren and Cllr Brue MacFarlane calling for the traditional route to be retained. There was a unanimous call from all Renfrewshire Councillors to ditch this new plan, re-instate the traditional route and include the ‘Burning of the Cork’.
Councillor Kenny MacLaren said:
“Sma Shot Day is an important event for Paisley, a day to remember our history and the struggles of the working classes of that time. It is also important to remember our history especially as we’re investing in our heritage assets such as the work on Paisley Museum which is looking like it’s going to be an amazing venue to tell the history of Paisley and Renfrewshire. Therefore it would seem to me a bit bizarre effectively downgrade Sma Shot Day.
“The traditional route creates a larger space for the public to view the Sma Shot procession as it rises up St Mirren Brae and along the High Street heading to the Town Hall and Abbey Close. This helps to maximise the benefits to both the public and to local businesses. The alternative route would not have the same impact. I know we’ve had a previous Sma Shot day in New Street/ Shuttle St area but that was due to the works in the Town Hall and the site is far more constrained than the traditional route.
“As for removing the Burning of the Cork from the Day – that’s like having Christmas without Santa Claus! It’s an essential element of the whole day. I warmly welcome Unison’s offer of help to support Sma Shot – as they have done in previous years.
“I am pleased that those councillors who put up similar motions on re-instating the traditional Sma’ Shot route agreed with my amendment and that we will now see not only the traditional route but also the ‘Burning of the Cork’.
For more information: https://www.paisley.org.uk/events/sma-shot-day/
the Paisley Independent 
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