Be in Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day

“As our bus came ever nearer the city, filling up with more punters covered in green and orange from head to toe, the atmosphere was building. The roads in the centre of the city were shut and the bus trundled slowly through the sea of emeralds. [...] Walking around Dublin the entire city was buzzing, the parade route lined up to ten deep in some areas and for a while, we just wandered in and out of the crowds taking in as much as we could.”

“Tom and I finally met John at the radio station to pick up the equipment. We then headed out to the streets. Tom interviewed locals and visitors while I recorded the Parade on Video and John tried to capture some the excitement with still images. The streets were lined with throngs of people. Some spectators had dyed their hair green, white and orange while others had shamrocks adorning their faces. The one adornment everyone had was a smile from ear to ear.”

“I visited Ireland for the first time in March 2023, and with my trip dates including St Patrick’s Day, I knew I had to spend the holiday in Dublin. Celebrating a cultural holiday in its country of origin is a party like no other, but after my Paddy’s experience, I walked away wishing I had known what to expect. [...] Unexpectedly, the most underwhelming part of my experience was the National St Patrick’s Day Parade unfolding through the streets of Dublin. The parade itself wasn’t actually bad, but it completely strayed from my expectations and felt a little too close to home.”