Parade volunteers prep for the big day ahead (Chris McGinnis)
(DUBLIN, IRELAND) St Patrick’s Day is different over here. It’s a national holiday, which means few people go to work and kids are out of school. And around 500,000 people show up for the parade.
St Patrick’s Day is much more of a fun family celebration than the green-beer-soaked antics surrounding most celebrations in the US. Mention green beer to an Irishman, and they grimace. They also grimace if you think you are being cute by spelling it St Patty’s. It’s St Paddy’s Day…because the Gaelic name of Patrick is Padraig.
Yes, I’m related. Way back. (Chris McGinnis)
I’m over here in Dublin for a four-day, multipurpose business trip. I’ve been meeting with execs at Tourism Ireland, Guinness and Aer Lingus (on which I flew from SFO in its new lie-flat business class seat). I took off a day for a side trip up to Belfast to check out my family roots. (Stay tuned for future posts.)
Today I was lucky enough to tag along with a contingent of “international media” and ride in a open-topped double-decker bus for the length of the parade route.
What a treat! Here are some glimpses of what I saw.
Parade day started with a gathering a Belvedere College– where James Joyce went to school. The room felt like the inside of a Wedgewood bowl! (Chris McGinnis)
St Paddy’s Parade is a combo of national pride and Carnaval-like visuals (Chris McGinnis)
An early look at the carriage for the parade’s grand marshall (Chris McGinnis)
The Chicago Police had a contingent of bagpipers wearing handsome tartans in blue (police), black (remembrance) and green (Irish influence) Photo: Chris McGinnis
Nearly all bands and drill teams in the parade are from the US- these women are from Texas (Chris McGinnis)
US high school bands compete for a handful of coveted spots in the parade- this guy is from Woodstock High near Atlanta. As a former band geek, I can attest that the bands chosen are good…really good. (Chris McGinnis)
A small cadre of new recruits wear a spring of shamrock on their hats. Others wore it as bouttonieres. (Chris McGinnis)
It feels like the entire country comes out for the pageant– packing sidewalks dangerously and hanging out windows- and having a lot of fun! (Chris McGinnis)
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Packed sidewalks full of revelers (Chris McGinnis)
Fun times along the parade route– but no drinking allowed during the parade (Chris McGinnis)
Floats and dancers– all very good, very energetic and vamping with the crowd (Chris McGinnis)
That’s me on top of a double decker bus, in the thick of St Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin.
Best part about this parade is that it’s short– and every act is good! (Chris McGinnis)
In the end, the parade is for people like this. The debauchery is saved for the evening…which I can hear out my hotel window as I prepare this (Chris McGinnis)
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