Arpita Chowdhury reports from Dublin's St Patrick's Day parade, and discusses some of the highlights of the day
“Lá fhéile Pádraig sona duit!”
Dublin was awash with vibrant hues of Irish culture and heritage as the 2025 St. Patrick’s Day Parade captured hearts across the city. This year’s festival embraced the theme Eachtraí—the Irish word for "Adventures"—highlighting the essence of Ireland and its people. The renowned Irish adventurous spirit, a defining symbol of national identity, is celebrated worldwide for its fearless embrace of challenges and boundless curiosity that forges new paths.
Emphasizing the day’s significance, St. Patrick’s Festival CEO Richard Tierney stated, "It's our National Day. A day to be proud. The world looks in at us, and we get to showcase the very best of what it means to be Irish. It also marks the start of the tourist season, making it an incredibly important day for Ireland."
The spectacle was breathtaking, with over 500,000 visitors from across the globe gathering to celebrate Ireland’s rich traditions. The parade saw 4,000 performers from diverse backgrounds come together to honour Irish heritage. A sea of green-clad spectators filled the grandstands, their excitement palpable as festivities unfolded. Families, tourists, and locals alike donned their best St. Patrick’s attire, waving Irish flags and cheering as the procession passed.
A standout moment in this year’s parade was a special pageant marking 40 years of Pavee Point, created in collaboration with the Roma Traveller Centre. This tribute highlighted the shared traditions of the Irish Traveller and Roma communities, showcasing their cultural heritage through youth-led performances. At the heart of the pageant stood the iconic wagon wheel, a powerful symbol of both cultures, underscoring the importance of preserving traditions for future generations. Dancers in colorful attire performed traditional routines, while musicians played folk tunes that resonated with the crowd, creating an atmosphere of unity and celebration.
The parade showcased a diverse range of performances, each adding a unique flair to the festivities. The Outing Queer Arts Collective presented Rainbow Pageant - Love is an Adventure, marking a decade of marriage equality in Ireland with dazzling floats and performances by LGBTQ+ youth groups. Macnas captivated audiences with Turas Alf, featuring a towering Giant Newt as a striking visual symbol of climate change and habitat loss. Spraoi’s Pirate Queens paid tribute to legendary Irish women like Grace O’Malley and Anne Bonny, while ArtFX’s Fierce Mild playfully captured the unpredictability of Ireland’s spring weather.
Amid the vibrant colours, one of the significant approaches adopted this year was ensuring inclusive viewing opportunities for all. Elevated viewing platforms were introduced to provide better visibility. Special accommodations were made for neurodivergent attendees through the Dublin City Council Relaxed Parade Space. From young children to elderly spectators, efforts were made to ensure that everyone could enjoy the parade comfortably.
With an estimated half a million spectators lining the streets, this year’s parade set a new record as the largest National St. Patrick’s Day Parade to date. Seven large-scale pageants, six showpieces, and 12 marching bands from Ireland, North America, and Austria brought the city to life. Floats depicting mythical creatures, historical figures, and animals like dinosaurs and a giant octopus offered a dynamic showcase of Ireland’s past, present, and future, blending folklore with modern storytelling to captivate audiences.
Reflecting on the global love for Irish culture, this year’s Grand Marshal, actress Victoria Smurfit, expressed her excitement: "I want to take in the energy and experience that visceral sense of what it means to be Irish on our day. People everywhere want to be Irish year-round, but especially this weekend. And why is that? Because we travel well, we integrate effortlessly, and we bring our culture—our joy, laughter, and adventurous spirit—wherever we go. This weekend, the world comes to us and immerses itself in what it means to be Irish."
What was once a religious holiday has become an international celebration of Ireland, our culture and our history. In Ireland and beyond, the day is marked through parades, music, Irish dancing, traditional Irish food and wearing the colour green!
The streets pulsed with merriment, cementing St. Patrick’s Day as not just a national celebration but a global phenomenon. As music, dance, and celebration filled the air, the 2025 St. Patrick’s Day Parade stood as a testament to the adventurous Irish spirit—a spirit cherished across the world.