Across Ireland, mid-March brings an extravaganza of St Patrick’s Day events – from tiny villages with face-painted children and decorated tractors in a Main Street cavalcade, to elaborate citywide takeovers that go on for days. And not only is St Patrick fêted here in the Emerald Isle as the Apostle of Ireland; when this time rolls around each year, communities the world over also mark his day.
In the country’s capital, the St Patrick’s Festival is a particularly big deal, with hundreds of thousands of spectators from home and abroad adding to the gala holiday mood. As its organisers say themselves, their blowout jamboree is ‘the largest celebration of Irish heritage and culture in the world’. And where better to enjoy the giddy goings-on of this very special fixture in the Irish calendar?
Here, we take a fond look back at St Patrick’s Days past in Dublin, even as this year’s bands are warming up, performers are putting the final touches to their dance routines, and magnificent floats are being bolted together in readiness for another memorable March 17th parade…
With the exception of pandemic times (when celebrations were virtual by necessity), I’ve been in Dublin on St Patrick’s Day most years, strolling around, snapping away and soaking up the atmosphere. It’s unbeatable for people-watching, not to mention the entertainment and artistry of the day’s many performances and pageantry. In 2015, though the skies were grey, spirits were high and the headwear was colourful as we awaited the procession’s arrival.
We could hear the drums before we could actually see the parade, but then it was upon us. Marching bands come from far and wide to participate. Each year, there’s a mix of seasoned local stalwarts like the Dublin Fire Brigade Pipe Band (pictured top of the page), and excited young musicians and performers – in cohorts dozens, even hundreds strong – many making such a journey for the first time in their lives, and quite a few who’ve come a long way to get here.
There’s no shortage of souvenir shops in Dublin (while I’d suggest other options for mementoes, the default tacky emporia are readily available nonetheless – got to give the people what they want!). However, on St Patrick’s Day, in the vicinity of the parade route, new sellers seem to sprout fully formed from the pavements to set up impromptu shop, complete with a strong set of lungs and an extensive inventory of tricolour-themed tat.
Apart from the bands giving their all, there are dazzling displays by pageant makers. Communities and creative arts organisations conjure St Patrick’s Day magic, each with their own local twist. This was ‘Home, Above and Below’ by Spraoi, a Waterford street-theatre and spectacle company, which portrayed the quirky places where we might live in the future. This is not just a celebration of a long-dead saint, but an occasion to showcase Ireland’s vibrant creativity.
In 2019, a press pass got me a bit closer to the parade action. But first, there was plenty of time for a backstage wander and a good look around. Bands were going through last-minute rehearsal and dancers were putting the finishing touches to their costumes. Amid all the activity, I couldn’t help but notice the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) Panther Marching Band having their photo taken – they were hard to miss, with nearly 200 members.
After my peek backstage, I climbed atop a double-decker media bus at the start of the parade route, on Parnell Square by the Garden of Remembrance. This was ideal for appreciating the detail put into the performers’ costumes and the joy on their faces. More than 4,000 take part in the parade, with many more working to make the Festival happen, whether on the day itself or in the months beforehand (the planning begins all over again mere days after March 17th).
On Dame Street in 2024, as the procession made its way past, the sun shone and brought out the sparkle of the young dancers, who looked like they were enjoying every minute. The parade that year included six large-scale pageants and 11 showpieces; 14 marching bands from Ireland, North America and France along with their dance and flag teams; plus local sporting clubs and community groups including participants representing many nationalities.
Across the city and country – and in iconic locations the world over – as darkness falls, dozens of landmark buildings are lit in green. Here’s the Custom House in Dublin, resplendent in its party clothes. The festival programme, which goes on for several days and caters to revellers young and old, isn’t just about the pinnacle that is the parade – but also a full calendar of cultural events, day and night. Though I do love a parade most of all. And I can’t resist the appeal of a marching band… or even better, several.
☘️ ☘️ ☘️ ☘️ ☘️
As we honour the most famous transplant to our shores – St Patrick was born in late Roman Britain, though precisely where is uncertain – this is an occasion to showcase both Ireland’s modern diversity and the nation’s embrace of its living, breathing roots.
From the capital to the rest of the country, and the rest of the globe, wishing everyone a very happy Saint Patrick’s Day – or more traditionally, that the blessings of Saint Patrick’s Day be upon you all. Even more properly, as Gaeilge (in Irish): Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona daoibh / Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig ort!
