Pictures: Sun comes out in time for Cork's St Patrick's Day parade
George O’Shea from Grange at today's St Patrick’s Day Parade in Cork city. Picture: Darragh Kane
Some 56,000 people, many wearing green and waving tricolour flags, turned up to watch colourful floats and dancers swirl through the streets for the St Patrick's Day parade.
Currachs pulled up by Patrick's Bridge for a waterside view of festivities while little girls in green tulle skirts and sparkly shamrock hair bands clambered onto adult's shoulders to get a better view of the magic.
A giant golden dragon rolled enthusiastically past the crowd, bobbing and twisting under tall sticks held aloft by its human underlings.
The heavens seemed to obey a giant fairy as the intermittent rain cleared and sun peaked through hazy cloud when she sung Kate Bush’s ‘Cloudbusting’ to the crowds.
Teens clustered around the iconic Father Mathew statue on Patrick’s st, claiming a birds eye view of proceedings as the parade streamed by around them.
A little girl clung with the ease of a koala more than 1m up a lighting pole to watch the parade, green, white and orange ribbons flowing through her hair.
Carol Murphy's daschunds Jameson and Connell sported matching green jumpers, sewed up by Carol to fit their diminutive frames.
“They love the attention,” Carol said. “I got the jumpers in O’Carroll’s gift shop here but had to sew them up to make them smaller and roll up the legs for them.
“It’s a fabulous day.”
Olna Naksymova waved two tricolour flags and wore a full length green dress with large shamrocks draped over her shoulder and a leprechaun balloon at her side for good luck.
“I wanted to celebrate everything Irish today,” she said. “I’ve been in Cork for 11 months, it’s a very good city.”
Eilen Segatz said that seeing Ireland show solidarity with Ukraine and hearing Ukrainians sing songs in the parade was uplifting.
“This year’s parade definitely feels bigger than last year," she said. "It feels like pre-covid times again, it’s back in full swing. It’s really exciting to see.”
“It’s a fantastic day, there’s a great atmosphere,” Marie and her husband Decki from the city said.
“The brass band from the US were outstanding. We’ve been coming to the parade for years and that was one of the best we’ve ever seen.” Clara Bourget, a French au pair working in Cobh was joined by her family from Normandy for the weekend.
“It’s our first Patrick’s Day parade. My family chose to come visit at this time.
“It’s good to see all the different cultures represented. We thought we’d hear more traditional Irish music but we might find more of that later!”
Maneesha Nair, a cardiac physiologist from Kerala in India who has been working in Cork University Hospital for more than one year said that she had never seen a parade like it.
“It’s really beautiful. I’ve never seen a parade this big before. It’s good to have these yearly events when everyone can come together.” Naomhóga Chorcaí, Ireland’s biggest curragh club took a break from their mini regatta to watch the parade roll by.
Giant birds from Spraoi street theatre company in Waterford, accompanied by some 24 performers, some dancing to disco tracks wearing day-glo costumes, entertained the crowds with a range of music composed by Rob O’Connor.
Parade participants reflected the diversity in the crowd with many nations and cultures represented alongside multiple Cork sports, arts and community groups.
African drumming and dance in ornate traditional costumes was performed by the Indigenous People of Biofra.
And bright orange ribbon was braided through jet black hair for dancers from the Mexican community, alongside cowboy hats, swirling skirts and did Dia de Muertos painted faces.
Other groups included Bodhrán Buachaills, Cork Volunteer Centre, Nemo Rangers, Cork Renegades baseball team, Barracks Street Band, the fire service and ambulance.
Joey Ward set up a street stall at 9.30am to provide ponchos, silly string and flags to the crowd.
But green blow horns were his most popular product of the day as punters participated willingly in the music and happy madness of the day.
Meanwhile, in Dublin, half a million people descended on the city centre for a parade that organisers predicted would be “the biggest and best”.
Many more watched Dublin’s 2023 parade, featuring 4,200 performers including marching bands, aerial acrobats and vibrant costumes, live on television.
The parade centred around the theme of “ONE” to “shine a light on all the goodness that surrounds us” by protecting and embracing global traditions, culture and heritage.
The Republic of Ireland women’s football team was chosen as this year’s grand marshal and was represented by manager Vera Pauw and other famous faces from the team’s past and present.
Originally from the Netherlands, Pauw said she was “blown away” that she could lead the parade.
“The thought that I, as a foreigner, could lead the team out and represent the team is a highlight of my life”, she said.
"I’m absolutely delighted that Ireland has let me in to their celebrations of this magic day.”
American actor Patrick Duffy, known for Dallas and Man From Atlantis, said he was discovering his heritage through his role as the international guest of honour.
“The beauty of my feeling of being in this parade is the coming together of the heritage that I have, that I’m discovering on a daily basis by being here,” he said.
“Return is the key word that people feel when they come to Ireland, the sense is that you’re returning somewhere,” he added.
“I feel a part of something grander than any of us as individuals,” Duffy said.
The actor was born on St Patrick’s Day and celebrated his 74th birthday by blowing out the candles on a large green cake.
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