Cork's 'largest parade ever' celebrates community and friendship

Drummers from Batala Mundo bring infectious rhythm and colour to the streets during the St Patrick’s Day Parade in Cork. Picture: Chani Anderson

In the end there was only a light drizzle to rain on Cork’s 124th St Patrick’s Day parade and by the time it fell, the two-hour show was almost over.

Garda estimates said as many as 60,000 people gathered in the city centre to see a record 3,600 participants in the parade.

With more than 60 community groups involved, the parade was a multicultural celebration of community, friendship, and a Cork that tries to live up to the promised hundred thousand welcomes.

This year’s grand marshals were the volunteers and canine stars of Carrigrohane-based national charity Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, which is 50 years old this year, and the dogs stole the show early on.

Leading the parade on motorcycles were 18 volunteers from Blood Bike South, who got around the Cork festival’s prohibition on mechanically propelled vehicles by striking out three minutes before the official start.

From 7pm to 7am weeknights, and 24 hours a day on weekends, Blood Bike volunteers deliver blood, chemotherapy materials, and breast milk to hospitals all over the country, and they rely entirely on public donations.

Flanking the Blood Bike volunteers were community garda outriders on bicycles, followed by the Defence Forces Band of the 1st Brigade and members of the Irish Army and the Naval Service.

Beginning at 1pm at the junction of South Mall and Parnell Place, the parade made its way along South Mall and Grand Parade, then up St Patrick’s Street to finish on Merchants Quay.

Clara, who recently moved to Cork with her family from North Carolina, gets a front row view of her first St Patrick’s day parade in Cork city. Picture: Chani Anderson

The parade welcomed international groups including The McKinney High School Royal Pride Marching Band from Texas, the DC Everest Senior High Marching Band from Wisconsin, and Batala, the international collection of Samba groups from the UK, France, Austria and America.

In all, the parade took just over two hours, and although the weather had been blustery early in the morning, the rain held off until the show was nearly over.

More than 60 different community groups took part in the parade, and each one gave it socks, putting their hearts and souls into putting on a show for onlookers all along what was a very long route.

By the time the parade wound to a close, there can’t have been a child along the front lines who didn’t receive multiple high fives from participants.

The Rebel Wheelers were showstoppers, shooting basketballs – mostly on target – at a mobile hoop and eliciting cheers all along the route.

Members of the Defence Forces march through the streets of Cork city during the St Patrick’s Day Parade. Picture: Chani Anderson

Grand Marshal Irish Guide Dogs at Cork's St Patrick’s Day parade  Picture: Darragh Kane

Conor Coughlan, one of the Rebel Wheelers, stopped briefly for a chat, and then had to wheel all the faster to catch up with his colleagues.

“We have a range of clubs for kids and adults with disabilities, and I’m part of the wheelchair basketball club, we have wheelchair rugby, we have boccia, everything you can name, we have it,” he said.

“We’re out here having a great day, it’s all about having fun today.” 

Much of the day’s entertainment was supplied by local arts organisations Cork Community Art Link, Cork Puppetry Company, along with national arts organisation Spraoi, which brought large floats and paid tribute to the festival theme of ‘Marsh, Myth and Magic’.

The magical and dreamlike displays saw a colossal heron craning and jerking along the city streets, heralded by strange, spindly and angular clockwork soldiers, and followed by a bloated frog which licked the air while croaking and belching.

At an accessible area for parade viewers who are wheelchair users, Enya Coates sat at the frontline with her dad Graeme.

“It is such a lovely day, and it’s so nice to see all of the people in the parade, and everyone is so happy,” she said.

There was a huge welcome for the Cork LGBT+ group as they carried a preposterously long rainbow flag, and there were particularly warm cheers for the group Mammies for Trans Rights.

Performers from the Cork Puppetry Company entertain the crowds during the St Patrick’s Day Parade in Cork. Picture: Chani Anderson

There was colour and excitement on the streets of Cork city as thousands turn up to watch the parade. Picture: Chani Anderson

For the Lord Mayor of Cork, councillor Fergal Dennehy, inspecting the St Patrick’s Day parade was a highlight of his year so far.

“It’s absolutely incredible, what a turnout, the largest parade ever, representing the city that we are today,” he said.

“What an honour it is to see multicultural groups from all over our city, groups from America, people from all over the world who are making their home here, and making our city a better place. It’s a wonderful day."

Up by the viewing stand, members of the Cork Deaf Club enjoyed pole position beside Father Mathew, and Angela Dennehy from Blackpool, speaking through Irish Sign Language interpreter Suzanne Carey, said she always attends the St Patrick’s Day parade.

“It’s a special day and it’s so nice to see so many community groups and people from all over the world who live in Cork,” she said.

It did seem like the flags of every nation were flown proudly at the parade, all of them side-by side with the Tricolour, which felt as welcoming as it was always intended to be.

Having started with the guide dogs, the parade ended with a Shetland pony called Dolly representing Cork City Fire Brigade, and pulling a restored fire tender which dates back more than a century and saw duty during the Burning of Cork.