Top 7 Most Colourful St. Patricks Day Parades in Ireland

• By: Editor
• On: 25/Feb/09
• In: Festivals in Ireland

There are many festivals worldwide that celebrate the man who brought Christianity to Ireland, but none better than in Ireland itself, where the streets are rocking to the sights and sounds of the various Feast Day Parades that celebrate the life of one of the icons of Ireland.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade Dublin
The parade in Dublin is possibly the most colourful and vibrant St.Patrick's Day parade in the world, attracting thousands of revelers each year. The Parade this year is adopting the theme "The Sky’s the Limit" so be prepared for some wonderful pageants, puppetry and marching bands! A special part of the festival parade is dedicated to the Gaelic Athletics Association (GAA) that celebrates its 125th Birthday in 2009. The GAA parade, called "Monumental Moments" will lead the St Patricks Festival this year, in celebration of its role in Irish life. A wonderful event is in store, especially for families, with over two hours of fun, provided by a wonderful and colourful parade and street entertainment. The Parade begins at 12 noon at Parnell Square. Get there early and get your space! The Dublin St.Patricks Day Festival takes for almost a week. Find out more about the St. Patricks Festival in Dublin.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade Galway
If you are in the capital of the West of Ireland on St.Patricks Day, don’t miss the wonderful Festival. The Festival includes colourful floats, pipe bands, dance acts and wonderful performers. The magical atmosphere created by the Galway Festival attracts up to 50,000 people every year, who line the narrow streets of the medieval city. Find out more about St Patrick’s Day in Galway.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade Cork
The Cork St. Patrick’s Festival takes place on Saturday 14th, Sunday 15th and Tuesday 17th March 2009. The streets will become awash with colour when the festival parade on the 17th kicks off in the city centre. The whole festival offers something for everyone, from food markets, talented street performances, musicians, pipe bands, and colourful festival themed floats! Find out more about the Cork St. Patrick’s Festival.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Skyfest Waterford
The eagerly awaited National Lottery Skyfest takes place in the southeast this year, in Waterford City, on Saturday 14th March, beginning at 6.30pm and will be covered live on RTE1. Last year’s event saw an awesome fireworks display at Cashel, and this year the strikingly colourful fireworks display will take place over the River Suir which flows through Waterford. Irish traditional group Kila will provide musical entertainment. Don’t miss the chance to see the Waterford Quays lit up in wonderful fashion with this spectacular fireworks display, which kicks off the St. Patricks Day Festival in Waterford. The official parade in Waterford City will begin at 1pm on the 17th, and the theme this year is "Capital is the Colour" and the festival participants and spectators are invited to dress in the most colourful attire possible! So get on those green clothes!

St. Patrick’s Day Parade Limerick
The St.Patricks Festival in Limerick City this year has its theme "Go Green" – green is associated as the colour of Ireland, Limerick itself and with St.Patricks so all pageants and spectators are urged to dress up in green! The Festival will be a celebration of what the city has to offer in culture, sport, pipe band music, the community, and the many cultural groups that reside in the city. Above all, the festival will be spectacular and colourful, and last year attracted approximately 55,000 people. The Parade will begin at 12 noon and passes down through O’Connell Street. Find out more about the St Patricks Day Festival in Limerick.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade Killarney
The St.Patrick’s Day Parade in Killarney is known as the event that kicks off the tourist season in the charming town which is surrounded by majestic scenery. The festival parade is a colourful display of magnificent floats, celebrating our National Saint, the local community, and the festival also features music on the streets, followed by Kids Ceili (Irish Music) and street entertainment. Find out more about the St.Patrick’s Festival in Killarney.

Navan Shamrock Festival
The Town of Navan in County Meath hosts an annual "Shamrock Festival", and the town itself is special in that it is quite close to the Hill of Slane where St Patrick according to legend picked a Shamrock from, which he used as a symbol to explain Christianity to the Irish people at the time! The Shamrock Festival is a wonderful event that features a colourful parade, a floating boat race parade on the River Boyne on St.Patrick’s Day, and a wonderful fireworks display in the town. All details have to be confirmed so check the website for the Navan Shamrock Festival.

Note that St. Patrick’s Day 2009 falls on a Tuesday and is a Public Holiday in Ireland. Are you planning to head to one of the many Saint Patrick’s Day Parades in Ireland this year? If you need a place to stay overnight, check out our Ireland Accommodation page.

Have you been to any Saint Patrick’s Day Parades in the past? What did you think of them? If you are organising a St Patrick’s Day event in your location please let us know. We would love to hear from you.