There are five things anyone attending a St Patrick’s Day parade in Ireland needs to know, according to gardai.
Officers have been issuing their advice as Ireland gets ready for the return of in-person Paddy’s Day celebrations.
The St Patrick’s Day Festival gets underway on Wednesday, with a host of events running right across the country until Sunday.
The national parade will take place on Thursday from noon until 2.30pm in Dublin City Centre.
However, smaller events and parades are also being planned in towns and villages across Ireland.
Gardai have issued a nifty five-point checklist of what you need to know if you’re going to a parade around the country.
- Plan your journey in advance.
- Select the area that you want to view the parade in advance of travelling.
- Arrive early.
- Keep children under close supervision. Where possible children should have phone numbers for their guardians in the event of accidental separation.
- Mind your personal belongings.
More than 400,000 people are expected to attend the national parade in Dublin.
The Dublin parade – which had been shelved for two years due to Covod – will begin at noon at Parnell Square, coming down O’Connell Street, moving around College Green and Dame Street, before looping down Lord Edward Street and finishing on Kevin Street at around 2pm.
Gardai say as many as 650 officers will line the parade route as hundreds and thousands descend on the city.
They’ve issued further advice for anyone planning to attend the national parade in Dublin.
- Gardai are encouraging everybody who wishes to attend the St. Patrick’s Day Festival Parade to please use public transport.
- The National Transport Authority (NTA) in association with all public transport providers have developed a significant public transport network for the day.
- If you live outside the M50, try to leave your car outside the M50 zone.
- If you live inside the M50 zone on the Southside aim to leave your car outside the Grand Canal zone and if you live on the Northside aim to leave your car outside the North Circular Road zone. The parade route is accessible by Public transport/ walking from these areas.
- Please follow signage and all directions from stewards and gardai.
Giving further personal safety advice for over the weekend, gardai say that anyone socialising over the Bank Holiday weekend should plan their night out in advance.
A spokesperson had the following advice for St Patrick's revellers.
- Drink alcohol responsibly
- Never drink and drive, no matter the time of the day/ night
- Plan your night out, tell someone where you’re going and when you’ll be back
- Don’t let your friends or family walk home alone, there is safety in numbers.
- If you have to, walk in well lit areas and make sure you can be seen by passing traffic (reflective gear/torch).
- Take care when carrying personal property (handbag, smart phone or tablet) in crowded areas, keep them in a safe location within view.
- Watch out for pickpockets in crowded areas; Keep handbags zipped and don’t put your wallet in your back pocket. In bars and restaurants take care about where you store coats and handbags.
- Park and lock your car in secure, well lit areas. Keep valuables including bags and coats hidden.
The five-day festivities are usually estimated to give the Irish economy a €72million boost, but organisers have yet to find out how much this year’s festivities will be worth to us.
