Irish Examiner view: St Patrick's Day parades let us celebrate communities

Isabelle O’Brien, Stephanie Desmond, and Erin O’Brien enjoying the 2025 parade in Cork on St Patrick’s Day in 2025. File picture: Darragh Kane

Hundreds of thousands of people will today brave the elements to watch, or take part in, St Patrick’s Day parades in towns and villages up and down the country.

Some of the parades will be modest affairs, featuring perhaps, bedraggled banners hoisted by youngsters kitted out in local clubs’ colours, or shivering dancers or majorettes smiling through their well-rehearsed routines. Others will offer more sophisticated fare, with elaborate floats, professional entertainers, and vibrant music troupes that would be a credit to a Mardi Gras celebration.