St Patrick's Day: Thousands line streets of Dublin for national parade

Cate McCurry, PA

Children waved the Tricolour while visitors watched the long and energetic St Patrick's Day parade make its way through the streets of Dublin on Monday.

Children, adults and visitors from across the world packed the city centre to see the headline parade and to celebrate the festivities of St Patrick’s Day.

Spectators were adorned in all shades of green, many with shamrocks and the Irish tricolour painted on their faces, while others wore leprechaun hats and Irish jerseys.

The theme of this year’s event was adventures, or “eachtraí” in Irish.

People gathered at the barriers from early Monday morning in green and tricolour gear to celebrate festivities which began at 12pm.

The Dublin parade included 12 marching bands from across Ireland, North America and Austria – as well as dozens of performers and extravagant floats.

There were around 4,000 parade participants from across the globe in Monday’s parade.

The parade featured members of An Garda Síochána, a float from Dublin Zoo, the Irish Coast Guard, baton twirlers and Artane Band.

The weather stayed dry throughout Monday as revellers partied for the patron saint.

Minnu Sebastian, from India, has been living in Ireland for three years.

This is her third time attending the St Patrick’s Day parade in Dublin.

“Every year I make sure that I am off on St Patrick’s Day and come to the city centre and see the beautiful parade and the different groups taking part in the parade,” said the 30-year-old.

“I am so happy and I usually paint my face and I buy the shamrock lead and go to mass on St Patrick’s Day morning and pray for him.

“I came to Ireland is that I usually pray to St Patrick. I really love Ireland and its culture and its diversity and everything.”

Claire is visiting Dublin with her friends from Chicago.

She said: “We love St Patrick’s Day and I love the Irish people. They are so fun.

“People are so friendly and it’s always a great time to be here.

“The culture is amazing. It’s so different and inclusive.”

As previously announced, actress Victoria Smurfit is this year’s grand marshal.

Smurfit said it is an “incredible honour” to be part of the event.

“Celebrating St Patrick’s Day, for me, is an opportunity to eat all the good things, laugh at all the daft things. It’s about entertainment. It’s about freedom of your spirit,” she told the PA news agency.

“It’s about being as Irish as you can possibly be, because being Irish is a passport to being accepted wherever you go, because we bring joy and fun, we bring comedy, we bring music and dance and theatre.

“It’s just an incredible honour to spend this particular day in the centre of Dublin, in the centre of the parade, and be able to see all the kids and all the people and to be part of that.”

Also featuring in the parade was the 357th Lord Mayor of Dublin, Emma Blain, who enjoyed it from the Lord Mayor’s coach dating back to 1791.

Ms Blain commented: "It’s a true privilege to serve as Dublin’s Lord Mayor, and one of the highlights of my role is participating in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. This year, I’m especially excited to share this incredible tradition with my family. It’s a fantastic chance to celebrate the very best of our vibrant city, and I can't wait to see the sea of smiling faces as we make our way through the streets.

"A huge congratulations to everyone taking part and to those who have dedicated countless hours to bring together this spectacular display of talent from both near and far. We’re in for a real treat today!"

Speaking about today’s parade, Richard Tierney, St Patrick’s Festival chief executive, said: "This year’s parade features a stunning line up of pageantry, from dazzling floats celebrating 10 years of marriage equality, to towering mythical creatures and tributes to Ireland’s legendary history.

"Beyond the parade, spectators can continue the celebrations at the Céilí Mór in Merrion Square, where people of all ages can join in and enjoy traditional Irish dance. Today is a true reflection of the joy, diversity and creativity that make St. Patrick’s Festival such a special celebration for all, and I’m proud to be a part of it".