Thousands fill the streets of Dublin to see St Patrick’s Day parade
The theme of this year’s event was adventures, or ‘eachtrai’ in Irish.
Children waved the Irish tricolour while visitors watched the long and energetic parade make its way through the streets of Dublin as Ireland celebrated its patron saint 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 “eachtrai” in Irish.
People gathered at the barriers from early Monday morning in green and tricolour gear.
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 Siochana, a float from Dublin Zoo, the Irish Coast Guard, baton twirlers and Artane Band.
Parades marking the day took place nationwide, from cities and towns to villages.
Thousands of people lined the streets of Galway, Limerick, Cork, Belfast and Derry to watch the parades wind their way through the cities.
The holiday commemorates Ireland’s patron saint and has become popular around the world.
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.”
She added: “My daughter Evie is here with me and her best friend Violet, she’s like another daughter to me. My cousins are also coming.
“It’s going to be a fun day, good family day, as it should be.
“I love the people, the vibe, the excitement, the buzz, the kids on shoulders, the shouting and roaring and the laughing and just joy.”
Speaking about the moment she was asked to be the grand marshal, she said: “I always say to myself, whenever you get a kind of a wash of nerves go over you when you’re asked to do something, always do it.
“I had that for this.
“I’m just incredibly honoured. I really, really am.
“It’s an extraordinary event to be part of in any way, shape or form, but to be the Grand Marshal is really exciting.”
