The St. Patrick's Day Parade takes place tomorrow.
By Fiona Frawley
St. Patrick's weekend is officially upon us and if you were planning on making the trip to Dublin to watch the St. Patrick's Day Parade, you're not alone. In fact, half a million people are expected to turn out to enjoy the annual spectacle so it's definitely worth making your way in early, having a rough idea of where you want to stand, and of course, an exit strategy for when it all gets too much.
Luckily, we're here to help with all that - here are 4 tips for enjoying the St Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin.
Where to stand:
Typically, the best places to stand for the parade are at the start of the route - anywhere from St Mary's Place down to Granby Row, or onto Parnell Square. Standing in these areas is preferable because parade performers are just getting started, full of festive energy.
Grandstands:
If you really want to ensure a relatively unspoiled view, there's also the option to pay for a place on one of the St. Patrick's Festival Grand Stands - they're covered and tiered with allocated seating, strategically located at five different areas along the Parade route. Grandstand Hosts also provide lively commentary to guests, telling the story of the parade as it unfolds in front of you. If this sounds like the option for you, you can book a grandstand spot via the St. Patrick's Festival website.
What to wear:
This is Ireland, so it'll probably come as a shock to no one that we advise preparing to experience all four seasons in the space of about ten minutes. Unfortunately, Met Éireann has predicted wet weather across the country for St. Patrick's Day (good news for anyone hoping to catch a rainbow though), so bringing along a raincoat or water resistant jacket of some sort is definitely a great idea - we wouldn't recommend having an umbrella up while watching the parade, you'll obstruct other people's views and somebody will probably end up with a rib in the eye.
We also recommend a pair of runners or other sensible, comfy shoes - if they're waterproof, even better.
Time management:
The parade starts at 12pm and we recommend getting in nice and early to secure your spot - if you're taking public transport, allow yourself extra time incase buses or trains are too full and be mindful of road closures - you can see a list of all the closures scheduled for the weekend in Dublin here.
This article originally appeared on Lovin Dublin.
