St. Patrick's Day returns to Ireland after two years of pandemic

Dressed in the colors of Ireland, but also Ukraine this year due to the war, hundreds of thousands of people participated on Thursday in the traditional St. Patrick's parade, which returns after two editions canceled by the pandemic, symbolizing the country's rebirth.

American actor John C. Reilly, of Irish descent, kicked off, accompanied by Ireland's Kellie Harrington, Olympic boxing gold medalist named grand marshal of the parade.

The celebrations honoring the patron saint of this country with a strong Catholic tradition were among the first events canceled in March 2020, when the world began implementing measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Ireland was one of the European countries that imposed lockdowns and restrictions the longest.

“Some countries reopened restaurants or pubs and stuff, but we didn't do it after lockdown, so I'm really excited to have everything back,” Nsiidwa Nunu Kambauwa, 29, wearing an Irish tricolor hat, accompanied by her sister and her five-year-old nephew, who had been painting the orange, white and green Irish flag on the cheeks.

Two years later, and with the recent lifting of the latest sanitary measures, thousands of international visitors came to Ireland to participate in the festivities.

Donna Smith, originally from Tennessee, in the southern United States, claimed to have spent a lifetime waiting for this moment.

“Everyone wants to come to Dublin for St. Patrick's Day. It's like a mecca,” said this 60-year-old woman who, dressed in a boa of green, orange and white feathers and a bright green bowler hat, compared the parade to the “madness and fun” of the New Orleans carnivals.

The organizers promised that this year's parade would be the best of all time. The celebrations will mark “Ireland's reopening moment,” said Anna McGowan, acting director of the festival.

- Tribute to Ukraine -

Until the last moment, the shadow of new restrictions planned on the celebrations, the preparation of which usually takes a year and a half.

Although some preparations were made in advance, the government did not confirm until January that the parade could take place.

“Suddenly, it was as if someone lit a fire at our feet,” McGowan explained. “It was one of the most intense periods of organization that this festival has ever seen.”

Up to 400,000 people were expected on Thursday in Dublin to witness a parade with 3,000 participants.

Its route is usually covered in green, the color of St. Patrick's Day, but this year Dublin City Hall hung yellow and blue banners on the street lamps, in memory of Ukraine.

Also on the bridges of the Irish capital, Ukrainian flags replaced Irish flags in some places and participants were invited to carry objects showing their solidarity with the country invaded by Russia.

- Rivers of beer -

Throughout the city, merchants prepared for “the greatest St. Patrick's Day in a long time.”

“As soon as the doors open, a tide of festivalers comes in and there is a great atmosphere,” said Andrew Roche, who works in a pub in Dublin.

In his establishment everything had been prepared for the bar to work “as efficiently as possible”. “There isn't a time when there aren't five beer taps in operation and rivers of beer don't stop flowing and money coming in”, he said.

Dublin Airport expects some 800,000 people to travel to Ireland during the 12 days of the holidays, this year between 12 and 24 March.

Kenneth Will, director of a band from Ohio, traveled from the United States with his 130 students to march in the grand parade.

They were going to play in Dublin in 2020, before the festivities were canceled. “Coming to play here, in front of thousands of people in Dublin, is something really special for the band and I know they're excited,” he said, highlighting the “omnipresence” of Irish culture in the United States.

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