Ireland's earliest parade takes place in Kerry as country prepares to mark St Patrick's Day
The Dingle Fife and drum band played on the streets of Kerry to kick of the St Patrick's Day festivities. Picture: Domnick Walsh
The thousands of people who will throng cities, towns, and villages all over the country on Friday for the annual St Patrick's Day festivities have been given one key bit of advice: bring an umbrella.
Having missed out on two years due to the pandemic, many are making up for lost time, with extravagant parades planned all across the country. The country's earliest parade has already taken place in Co Kerry.
The only thing that can dampen the fun will be the weather, with forecasters warning of “heavy and prolonged showers” in many places.
Cork City’s St Patrick’s Day parade will start at 1pm, with the event also live-streamed from 12.45pm for those unable to be there in person.
Featuring Cork’s long-established brass bands and hundreds of sports and dance groups, the parade will also have a special multi-cultural focus, in the form of the migrant support group Together Razem. The group, made up of Ukrainians, Poles, Moldovans, Romanians, and others, will take part in the parade to show their thanks to the people of Ireland.
Earlier this week, Midleton announced its decision to cancel the 2023 parade, citing a lack of participants and insufficient funding. They have revealed they will be holding a smaller event to mark the occasion, with the time to be confirmed.
Cobh’s parade kicks off at 2pm, followed by a fireworks display at 7.30pm, with stage entertainment from the Cobh Street Band and Commodore Male Voice Choir during the day.
If you are looking for a short but sweet parade, look no further than Dripsey. The parade has gained national attention, coined the shortest parade in the country, marching from one village pub to another.
Beginning at 2pm, Killarney’s parade promises a spectacle, as they celebrate the theme of ‘Killarney, Experience More’, highlighting what the town has to offer all year round. Starting on Mission Rd, the parade will run through the town, finishing in the car park on Beech Rd.
Tralee’s parade, starting at 12pm from John Joe Sheehy Rd, will encourage spectators to embrace the Irish language, with this year's theme of ‘Cúpla Focal’. Thousands of spectators are expected to line the streets, with beautiful floats to look forward to, some of which are made in collaboration with theatre spectacle company Artastic from Kildare.
Ireland's earliest parade took place in the Kingdom this morning. Back in Dingle, the annual St Patrick's Day parade got underway at 6am, with Dingle Fife and Drum Band leading the march. Playing a number of traditional songs, the 40-man band followed the traditional route around the West Kerry town.
The march dates back to the 1880s when eviction rallies were being held to support tenants who had been thrown out of their land and homes.
“Those rallies happened early in the morning - that’s the first record of the Fife and Drum bands we have – early in the morning," band member Tom Lynch told RTÉ's .
In 1914, the British army who were in charge of the town at the time, placed a ban on celebrations of St. Patrick's Day between dawn and dusk, which the residents found a way around, by marching "prior to dawn".
“So they went out before 6 o’clock and we have continued doing that since so it’s a tradition going back well over 100 years and it’s a lovely, lovely morning.”
The early morning march is met with "great local participation" year in year out, followed by a St Patrick's Day mass organised by the local parish priests.
The Chamber of Commerce also arranges a cultural St Patrick's Day parade, beginning at quarter to one in the town, also led by the Dingle Fife and Drum band.
Reflecting on the tradition, Mr Lynch said: “It’s a very unique sort of march, I suppose, it’s a special march really for the band, probably the nicest march that we do in the whole year, even though we do parade for other occasions and events.”
A ‘bit of a rest and a breakfast’ is needed before partaking in the second parade later today, Mr Lynch said.
A huge turnout is expected in Limerick on Friday to watch the highly anticipated parade which kicks off at midday from O’Connell’s St.
Serving as Grand Marshall is Limerick native and star of D'Unbelievables and the Oscar-nominated , Jon Kenny, who is looking forward to his “starring role” in this year’s celebrations.
The parade will see over 1,500 participants march their way to Henry St, spreading the theme of ‘Discover Limerick’ as they go. It will incorporate Viking characters, in reference to those who “discovered Limerick” many moons ago.
Following the success of last year's first-ever three-day festival, Waterford City is hoping to top the 2022 celebrations. The fun kicks off with live music in the Cultural Quarter on Thursday night.
On Friday, the parade will set off from the Quays at 1pm, led by Grand Marshall, boxing champion Kelyn Cassidy. The rest of the weekend will be filled with more music, workshops, and dancing, and there will be a fairground for the kids to enjoy.
Commencing at 11am from Clare County Council’s headquarters, the parade in Ennis will celebrate the commitment of Clare’s sporting heroes to their local communities.
The parade’s Grand Marshalls are former president of Ennis Rugby Club Jimmy O’Brien, great-grandnephew of Barefield athlete ‘Honest’ John Purcell, PJ Purcell, and great-grandniece of Kilnamona boxer Michael McTigue, Aisling Rynne.
This year’s theme commemorates ‘Communities in Action’, with live music performed onstage by Ennis Gospel Choir from 10.15am. An Irish sign language interpreter will also be on stage at Bank Place for the duration of the parade.
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