My Grandfather always told me the place to be on St. Pat’s day was New York, or perhaps Boston or Chicago. He told me that growing up in Ireland at the end of the 19th century there wan’t much to do on St. Patrick’s day but go to church.
Things change. The St. Patrick’s Day Festival is a BIG party. When we were there in 2014 it was a bigger than normal party because 2014 was the 1000th anniversary of the Battle of Clontarf in which Brian Boru, the High King of Ireland took Dublin from the Vikings. Dubliners are a little conflicted by that because Dublin was, after all, defeated. But that didn’t stop fleets of Viking Ships from “sailing” down the streets of Dublin during the parade.
St. Pat’s parade in Dublin is a flamboyant cross between a gay pride parade and an American College band festival. The bands from Boston, Chicago and New York fly over to take the places of the Irish bands marching in the New York, Boston and Chicago parades. Click below for the links.
Faces of St. Patrick (Reflections on my Grandfather.)
Dublin Goes Green (The Eve of St. Patrick’s Day.)
St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the Battle of Clontarf (Or here come the Vikings.)
