After two editions canceled due to the coronavirus, St. Patrick’s Day festivities return to Ireland on Thursday, with organizers hoping the celebrations mark the country’s post-pandemic rebirth.
Parades of marching bands and dancers in honor of the patron saint of Ireland, a country with a strong Catholic tradition, were among the first to be canceled in 2020, when the world implemented restrictions and confinements to try to slow down the spread of the virus.
Two years later and the last sanitary measures having just been lifted, hundreds of thousands of foreign visitors are expected in Ireland to take part in the festivities.
To mark the occasion, the organizers have promised that the traditional parade in Dublin will be the largest and most beautiful ever seen. According to Irish diplomacy, “the key message of St. Patrick’s Day this year is the reopening of Ireland”.
But COVID-19 caught up with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, who tested positive in Washington on Wednesday evening, on the eve of a scheduled meeting with US President Joe Biden to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
intense organization
Until the last moment, the shadow of new health restrictions hung over the celebrations, which normally require a year and a half of preparation. If certain preparations had been anticipated, the government only confirmed in January that the parade could indeed take place, triggering a commotion. “It has been one of the most intense planning periods this festival has ever seen,” said its interim director, Anna McGowan.
Up to 400,000 people were expected Thursday to attend the parade, which brought together some 3,000 participants.
While the parade route is usually adorned with green, the color of St. Patrick’s Day, the City of Dublin this year hung yellow and blue banners on the lampposts, in reference to Ukraine.
On the bridges crossing the Irish capital, Ukrainian flags replace those of Ireland in places, while participants were invited to bring objects showing their solidarity with the country invaded by Russia.