St. Patrick’s Day was celebrated in style in Bray with yet another fantastic parade. Thousands lined the parade route to watch the colourful procession.
The parade featured 30 groups which had a significant multicultural element, music, dancing, as well as other entertainment all celebrating the spirit of St. Patrick. This year’s Grand Marshall Bray ‘Person of the Year’ Dr David Menzies lead the 1,500-strong participants as they spectacularly made their way through the town.
President of the Bray & District Chamber of Commerce, Sarah Finnegan said, ‘The parade is an opportunity to bring together families and friends, old and young to celebrate our culture. It was great to see spectators enjoying all the colour, fun and excitement. The parade is part of our weekend celebration as the festival continues until Monday. There are some incredible free family fun events still to come. Check out bray.ie/stpatricksfestival for all the details.’
The five-day festival runs until Monday, March 20th. The jam-packed programme includes Bird’s Euroshow Funfair, live music, an open-air céilí, talks, a walk, a treasure hunt, movies by the Bandstand and more.
Take a look at the remaining highlights:
Events/activities running throughout the festival until Monday, March 20th, 2023:
Saturday, March 18th, 2023:
- Celebrate St. Patrick’s weekend in Killruddery Yard with a special edition of their Farm Market. Listen to performances from musicians while enjoying a unique shopping experience in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere while supporting the local economy and farmers! There’s free parking + admission. Read more at killruddery.com.
- Join the Boomerang Brass Band (UK) live at the clocktower in Enniskerry Village at 12:45 pm.
- Enjoy a showcase of Irish Dancing which includes exhilarating performances from Lawless Academy of Irish Dancing, Dunphy School of Irish Dance, Scoil Rince Fáinne and Shauna McGauran School of Irish Dancing at the Seafront Bandstand from 2 pm.
- Let the brilliant Suzie from White Doodle Face Art delight children with free face painting from 3:15 pm to 5:15 pm at the Seafront Bandstand.
- Irish dance meets Brass – watch the very talented Shauna McGauran School of Irish Dance wow audiences as they showcase their dancing skills with music by The Boomerang Brass Band (UK) on the Seafront Bandstand at 4 pm.
- Cheer on Ireland as they take on England in the final fixture of the 2023 Six Nations Championship on the open-air big screen opposite the bandstand at 5.15 pm.
- Remembering Ronnie – Phelim Drew, celebrated actor and son of The Dubliners’ Ronnie Drew, brings his fabulous music show to Mermaid Arts Centre at 8 pm. See mermaidartscentre.ie to boo
Sunday, March 19th, 2023:
- The Bray Head Walk is back again this year. Take in some of the most stunning views of Bray and surrounding areas with a guided walk with Bray Adventures up and around the amazing Bray Head. Sign up for free at bray.ie/stpatricksfestival. Places are limited – booking is essential.
- The Bray Vintage Car Club will be showcasing some of their member’s beautiful classic and vintage cars from 2 pm to 4 pm opposite the Bandstand.
- Enjoy a spectacular Hip Hop dance off with Studio X Dance Group at the Seafront Bandstand from 1 pm. Free movies by the bandstand – Bring a deckchair, blanket or a bean bag to ensure maximum snugness, some popcorn, treats and enjoy Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical at 2 pm and Elvis at 4 pm with thanks to Bird’s Euroshow Funfair.
Monday, March 20th, 2023:
- The Bray Cualann Historical Society will be reeling in the years with a historical talk at 8 pm. Learn about Bray through the Movies from 1929 to 1966 at the Bray and District Chamber of Commerce House. Admission is free with no registration required.
You can read more about the festival by visiting bray.ie/stpatricksfestival/.
‘A huge amount of planning and preparation goes into the festival each year. Without our sponsors Bird’s Euroshow Funfair and Wicklow County Council, our committee, volunteers, service providers, participants, and the emergency services this would not be possible. A heartfelt gratitude to those who contributed to the festival’s ongoing success,’ concluded Sarah.
There’s plenty to keep you busy between events. You can explore things to see and do, eat and drink, places to stay and more by visiting the award-winning bray.ie website.
All events are subject to change without notice and may be dependant on weather.
Bray’s St. Patrick’s Festival is proudly brought to you by Bray & District Chamber of Commerce, Wicklow County Council and Bray.ie. Bray.ie is the trading name of Bray Tourism.
Be sure to stay up to date by following bray.ie on https://twitter.com/bray_ie, https://www.facebook.com/braytown or https://www.instagram.com/braydotie/.
The event hashtags are #StPatricksFestivalBray #PaddysBray #PaddysBré #Bray #LoveBray.
