Dublin is bracing itself for what organisers are predicting will be the largest ever St Patrick’s Day parade this year.
Tourism Minister Catherin Martin launched the massive jamboree for this year’s St Patrick’s Festival that will see hundreds of thousands partying in the Capital in March.
Ms Martin was speaking at the unveiling of a programme of festivities which it’s predicted will bring half a million visitors to the Capital city for the parade alone on March 17th.
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The Parade itself will feature seven creative pageants, ten transitional showpiece performances, 15 marching bands from across Ireland, North America and Canada, and over 4,000 participants in what is shaping up to be the largest ever National St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
The celebrations of Irish arts, culture and heritage will also see concerts and a Festival Quarter based down at the historic Collins Barracks on the city’s north quays.
Some of the performers over the festival there. will include Kila, Panti Bliss and Pillow Queens.
The Quarter will feature Spiegeltent Mór and Spiegeltent Beag, the 3,000 capacity outdoor Main Stage, Story Yurt, performance spaces, relaxation areas, a mini-funfair including Ferris Wheel and the Irish Food and Craft Village.
All daytime events will be free of charge, along with the full day and night programme on St. Patrick’s Day, supported by Dublin Airport.
Night time events on the 16th and 18th of March will require a pre-purchased ticket that will be valid for the full evening’s programme.
Ms Martin said: “It is said that everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day and we welcome that inclusion warmly.
“It is a day to celebrate our heritage and our history and we invite the world to join in the 2023 celebrations.
“The festival has grown and flourished through the years and is full of the best of Irish culture, creativity and heritage of which we are all very proud. I have approved support of €600,000 from my Department for this great festival and I look forward to the full and eventful line up which has been organised for this year’s festival.”
The theme around the programme of arts events for the days around the parade is ‘ONE.’
Speaking to reporters at the launch, Ms Martin added: “The theme about ‘We are One’ is about inclusivity, it’s about…. I suppose no better time than St Patrick’s Day to give out that welcoming message, the Céad Míle Fáilte that we are one as a people and to celebrate diversity too.”
Ms Martin also used the occasion of the launch to condemn the protests of racist thugs at a migrant centre on Sunday night.
And the Arts and Tourism Minister also played down concerns that there won’t be room for refugees from Ukraine and elsewhere in our hotels as business owners will soon want to accept higher-paying tourist bookings instead.
Ms Martin said: “Protests like that of course are a concern.
“They are the minority by far if you look at over 73,000 people have sought refuge here and that is something the vast majority of people have welcomed.
“I think with tourism, it’s always a time when there’s pressure during St Patrick’s weekend and of course not only St Patrick’s festivities, but we also have the Six Nations, Ireland vs England that same weekend, so it will be no more than the pressures that are usually felt there.”
Running alongside the main festival programme will be a series of other arts events, similar to the ‘Fringe’ of other arts festivals.
A festival spokeswoman explained: “As part of a curated programme of events in collaboration with cultural partners around the city, there will be many St. Patrick’s Festival supported live events and club nights throughout Dublin over the period of the Festival. “Enjoy everything from art exhibitions to yoga classes, orchestral performances to brand new theatre pieces, walking tours to skiff racing.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the city while also supporting our workers across the arts, culture, heritage, festivals, entertainment, tourism, hospitality and accommodation industries, locally, nationally and internationally.
“New for 2023 is the Festival After Dark, a series of events in Nightclubs post 11pm. More details to follow on www.stpatricksfestival.ie ”
Lord Mayor of Dublin, Caroline Conroy added: “I’m really looking forward to this year’s St. Patrick’s Festival, not only the parade through our Capital’s streets on March 17th but also the fantastic Festival Quarter, back for its second year at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks.
“I congratulate the St. Patrick’s Festival Board and team for once again creating such a wonderful celebration packed full of so much fantastic Irish talent.”
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