More than two million people will attend 500 parades and festivals throughout Ireland this Sunday.
About 250,000 tourists are expected arrive through the country’s airports. The main parades:
- Dublin Parade: 12pm on Sunday, March 17, starting at Parnell Square and ending on Kevin Street, with six large-scale pageants, 11 showpieces and 14 marching bands, 4,000 participants. The National Museum of Ireland at Collins Barracks will be turned into the Festival Quarter, with family activities and an evening programme. All traffic will be diverted through the North and South Circular Roads for the duration of the parade. Tara Street Station is expected to be closed until 4pm to facilitate crowd management, so attendees will have to get off at either Connolly or Pearse stations. Dublin Bus services will operate to Sunday timetables and City Tours will not be in operation.
- Cork Parade: 1pm on Sunday, starting on South Mall and finishing on Merchant’s Quay, with over 3,000 participants and the Grand Marshals being local band, The Frank and Walters.
- Galway Parade: 11am on Sunday, starting at University of Galway and finishing at Prospect Hill, with a Family Fun Day at Leisureland and Salthill Park on Monday, March 18.
- Kilkenny: St Patrick’s Day parade starts at 1.30pm, with the route going from John Street to Market Yard, with Kilkenny hurling legend Richie Power Jnr as the Grand Marshal.
- Limerick Parade: Midday on Sunday, starting at O’Connell Avenue and ending at Rutland Street, with the International Band Championship parade on Monday, March 18.
- Waterford: St Patrick’s Day parade starts at 1pm, starting at Waterford Bus Station and finishing on The Mall at 3pm.
