5,000 events made a year to remember

In a year that saw nearly 5,000 official events held for The Gathering — not to mention countless unofficial events — there were five in particular that captured the public’s imagination.

1: The People’s Parade 2013

As part of St Patrick’s Festival, people came to Dublin from around the world to march in The People’s Parade. The parade followed a route past many of Dublin’s best-known landmarks, including Trinity College and Dublin Castle, and offered a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

2: The Emerald Isle Classic: Notre Dame vs Navy

The Navy-Notre Dame game took place in the Aviva Stadium in September and saw 50,000 Notre Dame and Navy American football players and fans travel to Ireland for the occasion. The long-standing rivalry between the two teams made for a great game and Dublin turned blue and gold in honour of the event.

3: Riverdance — The Gathering’s Longest Line

A total of 1,693 people from 44 countries gathered on the banks of the River Liffey in Dublin to take part in a world record attempt for the longest line of Irish dancers. A total of 163 overseas Irish dance schools sent students to participate in the event, which beat the previous world record held by Nashville, Tennessee.

4: FlightFest

More than 130,000 people lined the banks of the Liffey in September for FlightFest, a spectacular fly-past. Made possible by a partnership between the Irish Aviation Authority and Dublin City Council, in association with the air finance and leasing community and The Gathering Ireland 2013, the event was brought to a close by the British Airways A380 Airbus.

5: JFK50

To mark the 50th anniversary of the visit of the president of the United States of America, John F Kennedy, to his ancestral home in New Ross, Wexford, a series of special events took place in June, including a Homecoming Parade and the lighting of the Emigrants’ Flame. Wexford’s unique link with the US was celebrated and a hugely inspiring figure was honoured.

The Counting

There were 4,947 events around the country for The Gathering.

Location

* Antrim — 35

* Armagh — 7

* Carlow — 64

* Cavan — 90

* Clare — 191

* Cork — 444

* Derry — 17

* Donegal — 216

* Down — 31

* Dublin — 1004

* Fermanagh — 10

* Galway — 311

* Kerry — 250

* Kildare — 128

* Kilkenny — 70

* Laois — 83

* Leitrim — 81

* Limerick — 186

* Longford — 102

* Louth — 119

* Mayo — 331

* Meath — 126

* Monaghan — 132

* Offaly — 67

* Roscommon — 100

* Sligo — 114

* Tipperary — 159

* Tyrone — 15

* Waterford — 119

* Westmeath — 90

* Wexford — 125

* Wicklow — 130

Type of event:

* Agriculture — 9

* Community — 1,367

* Corporate — 191

* Education — 56

* Family Clan — 1,453

* Food/drink — 208

* Heritage — 310

* Hobby — 194

* Music, dance, theatre — 528

* Other — 4

* School/college — 229

* Sports /outdoor — 397