Dingle gears up for St. Patrick's Day!

Unique traditions set Dingle apart on St. Patrick's Day
The Dingle Fife and Drum Band traditionally welcome St. Patrick's Day as they march around the town at 6am on Tuesday, March 17th. This time honoured tradition will also see them enter St. Mary's Church on Green Street, where Mass will be celebrated at 6.30am, where they will fill the church to the rafters with sound of the fife and drum. This is unique to Dingle, a practice long since lost in other parts of the country. If you want to witness the real St. Patrick's Day, this is the way to do it! This year the Dingle Business Chamber are looking forward to hosting another excellent St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dingle town (click on route plan above to enlarge image).While these smaller parade in rural parts cannot obviously match the pomp and ceremony of the larger cities, these more intimate affairs really enable participants and visitors alike to get into the real spirit of St. Patrick's Day by creating a sense of community on the day. In keeping with this, this year's parade in Dingle is devoted to efforts in the community, with many local groups and businesses working for many hours to create celebratory floats. There will also be a review stand placed outside Garvey's at the Holy Ground with live traditional music and Irish dancing. So the day will go as follows:

6am: Dingle Fife and Drum Band welcome St. Patrick's Day by taking to the streets.

6.30am: Special St. Patrick's Day Mass at St. Mary's Church on Green Street (with an appearance and performance by the Fife and Drum Band who will march through the Church).

12.45pm (aprox): Dingle's St. Patrick's Day Parade begins at the old Dingle Hospital.

The route is as follows: Parade leaves the old hospital, continuing down Green Street and Main Street. It will take a right onto the Mall and at the end take another right onto Bridge Street past O'Flaherty's Pub and the Garda Station. It will then continue on past the Review Stand outside Garvey's at the Holy Ground before continuing along Strand Street, past Paddy Bawn Brosnan's Pub. The parade then will head towards the head of the Pier, towards Dingle Marina where it will turn at the Car Park and come back along Strand Street, before taking a left up Green Street. At the top of Green Street it will again turn left up Goats Street where it will conclude, where it begun, at the hospital. The festivities will them continue on for the rest of the day with traditional Irish music, dancing and Dingle's unique brand of 'Craic' in pubs all over the town.

DOUBLE-CLICK ON IMAGE ABOVE TO ENLARGE, PRINT OR VIEW PARADE ROUTE