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St, Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin, Ohio, USA 2021

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St, Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin, Ohio, USA 2021

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On Saturday, March 13, 2021, the City of Dublin hosted its first Reverse St. Patrick's Day Parade at Darree Fields. Thousands of visitors attended this unique event.

A reverse parade is a creative way to hold a physically distanced celebration. Rather than large groups of spectators gathering along Frantz Road, Bridge Street, and High Street, they drove through the parade at Darree Fields and remained safely in their vehicles. Spectators enjoyed Irish dancers, floats, helium balloons and equestrian drill teams in celebration of St. Patrick's Day.

Jill Kranstuber served as the 2021 Grand Leprechaun as she was originally selected to serve in 2020, prior to the cancellation of last year's parade due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A Special Thanks to our Parade Partners 2021 Reverse Parade Photos
In case you missed it, here is a selection of photos from the 2021 St. Patrick's Day Reverse Parade.

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On Saturday, March 13, 2021, the City of Dublin hosted its first Reverse St. Patrick's Day Parade at Darree Fields. Thousands of visitors attended this unique event. A reverse parade is a creative way to hold a physically distanced celebration.

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The Rise of the St. Patrick's Day Parade

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The Rise of the St. Patrick's Day Parade

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Although St. Patrick's Day has long been celebrated in Ireland, the tradition of holding a parade on March 17th didn't begin here. It actually developed among those who left Ireland and settled in faraway places.

These parades have evolved over the years and many countries have created their own unique traditions.

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This year, RTÉ are celebrating the event with a virtual parade, while EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum is contributing to the virtual celebrations by taking a look at parades of the past...
The very first St Patrick's Day parade
Until recently, it was believed that the first St Patrick's Day parade was held in Boston in 1737. But a few years ago, historian Michael Francis discovered it actually took place over a hundred years earlier, in a Spanish colony that was located in modern-day Florida.

Old Spanish Fort in St. Augustine, Florida

In 2017, Francis spent months studying a 2,000-page bundle of colonial documents in Spain's Archivo General de Indias. As he read through old inventory lists and accounts, two words jumped out at him: 'San Patricio'. The saint's name was mentioned on St. Augustine's hefty gunpowder expenditure report for 1601.

As it turns out, the town didn't just use gunpowder for defense. Firing artillery was also a common part of public celebrations and, during this period, it was used to honour St. Patrick - or San Patricio.

Not every saint was honoured with religious processions. But it would appear St. Patrick held a special significance for the local people of St. Augustine. Records identify him as the official 'protector' of the city's maize fields.

Michael Francis, who discovered the documents, told The Washington Post that residents gathered together to honour St Patrick in 1601. As they moved through the streets, the town's fort fired its cannons and the marchers carried images of the saint. Afterward, they would have continued the celebrations with food, drink and music.

He also wrote that the procession would have included "a blend of Spaniards, Africans, Native Americans, Portuguese, a French surgeon, a German fifer, and at least two Irishmen."

He believes that Padre Ricardo Artur - aka Fr. Richard Arthur - was responsible for the saint's popularity in St. Augustine at this time. The Irishman, who may have been born in Limerick before travelling the world as a soldier, was one of the first parish priests in America and served St. Augustine from 1598 until 1606. When he disappears from the town's records, so do references to St. Patrick's Day processions.

St. Patrick's day in New York City, 1874. Designed by Hogan; drawn by Lucian Gray

The beginning of parades in America
Emigrants leaving Ireland brought the tradition of celebrating St. Patrick to other parts of the world too. Cities in the United States, in particular, have become known for elaborate parades that honour all things Irish.

Boston held its first St. Patrick's Day parade way back in 1737. When the Charitable Irish Society was founded by leading Irish protestants on St. Patrick's Day, members of the Irish community in the city took to the streets to celebrate. But it was in New York that the modern tradition was first established.

In 1762, years before American or Irish independence, there were countless Irishmen serving in the British army. Many of them were stationed in its American colonies. On March 17th, a group of homesick Irish soldiers who were stationed in New York paraded through the streets to show pride in their roots. They wore green, sang emigrant songs and played Irish tunes on their military fifes and drums.

Postcard view of a crowd watching the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Shamrock, Texas, 1959

That same year, an Irish migrant called John Marshall also held events at his home in New York. Annual events soon became customary and, as the number of Irish people living in the US soared throughout the 1800s, parades became a widespread tradition.

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Coming home to Ireland
The first parade didn't take place in Ireland until 1903 - the same year that St. Patrick's Day was declared a public holiday. The Gaelic League, which aimed to revive Irish language and culture, had declared an Irish Language Week as well.

In Waterford, the League organised a parade to spread the word. It featured members of the local council and trade unions. Various bands took part too.

Going forward, St Patrick's Day parades were often organised by nationalist groups. In 1916, the Irish Volunteer Force held parades throughout the country. The police force recorded 38 separate processions, which involved 5,995 marchers - just under half of whom were reportedly armed. The following month, the Irish Volunteers took part in the Easter Rising and called for an end to British rule in Ireland.

By 1918, most St. Patrick's Day celebrations had a distinctly political atmosphere. Sinn Féin held meetings and demonstrations at parades, while the British authorities often banned large gatherings. Throughout the Irish War of Independence, celebrations became more low key. Though sometimes rallies took place instead of parades.

When the Irish Free State was set up in 1922, there was a return to military processions. But it wasn't until 1931 that the first official, state-sponsored St. Patrick's Day took place in Dublin. Today, it is the state's biggest annual celebration.
Other St Patrick's Day parades around the world
While some of the biggest celebrations are to be found in Ireland and the US, St. Patrick's Day parades happen in many other countries where the Irish diaspora have a presence.

St Patrick's Day Parade in Buenos Aires

Argentina
Buenos Aires hosts the largest St. Patrick's Day celebrations in South America. The city centre usually hosts a street party with music and dancing.
Montserrat
Montserrat is a British Overseas Territory located in the Caribbean. Here, St. Patrick's Day is a national holiday. Its festivities, which usually last well over a week, balance celebration and commemoration.

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It marks the influence of Irish people who were deported there during Cromwell's reign. But it also remembers the African slaves who led a failed rebellion against plantation owners - some of which were Irish - on St. Patrick's Day, 1768.

As well as the usual flurry of green flags, its annual parade also features steel drums and masked dancers.
Canada
Like in New York, Canada's first St. Patrick's Day celebrations were led by Irish soldiers stationed in Montréal.

#TBT 1987 #Montreal #StPatricksDay #parade. Photo by P.Obendrauf @mtlgazette pic.twitter.com/i4OHkH1aha
- UIS of Montreal (@uismtl) July 7, 2016

The city, whose flag features a green shamrock, is home to the longest-running St. Patrick's Day parade in Canada. Although this year's event is postponed, until now it has run uninterrupted since 1824.

Hundreds of thousands of people attend the annual event which features hundreds of floats, marching bands and a range of performers.
England
Since the 1800s, the Irish diaspora has held small, local St. Patrick's Day parades in London and Birmingham. But, after World War II, Irish groups moved to organise larger, more formal parades.

The Peace Process joins the St Patrick's Day parade in the UK, 1990s.
Photo by Irish in Britain

In central London, County Associations came together to organise a parade which saw migrants from across Ireland walk behind their county banners. The procession usually ended at Westminster Cathedral where mass was said.

In 1954, the Council of Irish County Associations (CICA) brought all the associations under one umbrella. According to the Irish in Britain Project, CICA organised London's St. Patrick's Day parade for the next 48 years.

In the 1960s, the parade grew more colourful as pipe bands, floats and Irish dancers were added. Celebrations started to take place after mass too.

But, during the Troubles, many parades were replaced with small, private St. Patrick's Day festivities. In London, however, a smaller and strictly religious parade continued to take place. Around this time, CICA also established the London Irish Festival to fundraise money for welfare organisations like the London Irish Centre in Camden.

Formal parades returned to the likes of Newcastle, Manchester and Birmingham in the 1990s. In London, a low-key procession was led by an Irish wolfhound and parade pacer Bill Aulsberry. But it soon began to evolve once again.

Since 2002, the parade has been supported by London's mayor and city hall. Its appeal has broadened with the likes of London's Montserrat community joining the festivities. In 2015, 125,000 people attended. The London Irish Centre in Camden plays a big part in the celebrations, often being the rallying point for the Community before and after the Parade, providing breakfast and entertainment. In recent years they have worked closely with Parade organisers and artists to create events in Trafalgar Square.
Australia
Australia's tradition of celebrating St. Patrick's Day is almost as old as the country itself. In 1795, a judge in Sydney wrote: "On the 17th... libations to the saint were so plentifully poured, that at night the cells were full of prisoners."

Saint Patrick's Day parade in New South Wales in 1930s, by Sam Hood

Throughout the decades, St. Patrick's Day celebrations have changed form many times to include horse races, banquets, picnics, concerts, dancing and, of course, parades. In recent times, The Rocks neighbourhood of Sydney has held parades of 1,500 marchers.
Nigeria
In 1961, when Ireland opened its embassy in Lagos, Irish bishops named St. Patrick Nigeria's second patron saint. Missionaries from Ireland had been arriving in Nigeria since 1902.

Though the country doesn't hold a parade as we know it, Catholics there attend mass and, in the past, formed processions - like those held halfway across the world back in 1601.
Although St. Patrick's Day parades have their origins in religious and military history, it has become a celebration of Irish culture throughout the world. EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum aims to record and commemorate the influence of Irish emigrants - check out their virtual tour to find out more about Ireland's most influential emigrants.

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Although St. Patrick's Day has long been celebrated in Ireland, the tradition of holding a parade on March 17th didn't begin here. It actually developed among those who left Ireland and settled in faraway places. These parades have evolved over the years and many countries have created their own unique traditions.

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The History and Origins of St Patrick's Day Holiday: Did You Know?

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Genuine Irish St. Patrick’s Day Traditions | AF-318

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Hail Glorious Saint Patrick performed by In Caelo

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Who Was Saint Patrick?

Born somewhere in Britain arguably in the late 4th century A.D., the man who would come to be known as Saint Patrick was captured by pirates as a child and brought to Ireland.

During his enslavement, he was called to Christianity and escaped his captors after six years. He returned to Ireland as a missionary, and in his teachings combined Irish pagan beliefs with Christian sacrament. He is annually honored on his feast day, March 17.

Early Life

The man who would come to be known as Saint Patrick, apostle of Ireland, was born in Britain circa 386 A.D. Much of his life is unknown to historians and can't be verified, though some sources have listed his birth name as Maewyn Succat, with the name Patrick later taken on during his religious journeys or ordainment.

His father, Calphurnius, was a deacon from a Roman family of high social standing. Patrick's mother, Conchessa, was a close relative of the great patron Saint Martin of Tours. Patrick's grandfather, Pontius, was also a member of the clergy.

Surprisingly, Patrick himself was not raised with a strong emphasis on religion. Education was not particularly stressed during his childhood either.

Later in life, this would become a source of embarrassment for the spiritual icon, who would write in his Confessio, "I blush and fear exceedingly to reveal my lack of education."

Enslaved as a Teen

When Patrick was 16 years old, he was captured by Irish pirates. They brought him to Ireland where he was sold into slavery in Dalriada. There his job was to tend sheep.

Patrick's master, Milchu, was a high priest of Druidism, a Pagan sect that held major religious influence over the country at the time.

Patrick came to view his enslavement as God's test of his faith. During his six years of captivity, he became deeply devoted to Christianity through constant prayer. In a vision, he saw the children of pagan Ireland reaching out their hands to him and grew increasingly determined to convert the Irish to Christianity.

Freedom & Religious Calling

Around 408 A.D., the idea of escaping enslavement came to Patrick in a dream, in which a voice promised him he would find his way home to Britain. Eager to see the dream materialize, Patrick convinced some sailors to let him board their ship.

After three days of sailing, he and the crew abandoned the vessel in France and wandered, lost, for 28 days-covering 200 miles of territory in the process, with Patrick ultimately becoming reunited with his family.

A free man once again, Patrick went to Auxerre, France, where he studied and entered the priesthood under the guidance of the missionary Saint Germain. He was ordained a deacon by the Bishop of Auxerre around 418 A.D.

As time passed, he never lost sight of his vision to convert Ireland to Christianity. In 432 A.D., he was ordained as a bishop and was soon sent by Pope Celestine I to Ireland to spread the gospel to non-believers while also providing support to the small community of Christians already living there.

Missionary Work

Upon his arrival in Ireland, Patrick was initially met with resistance, but managed to spread Christian teachings far and wide, along with other missionaries, through preaching, writing and performing countless baptisms.

Recognizing the history of spiritual practices already in place, nature-oriented pagan rituals were also incorporated into church practices. It is believed that Patrick may have introduced the Celtic cross, which combined a native sun-worshiping symbology with that of the Christian cross.

Throughout his missionary work, Patrick supported church officials, created councils, founded monasteries and organized Ireland into dioceses.

Death & Legacy: Saint Patrick's Day

Saint Patrick died circa 461 A.D. in Saul, Ireland, and is said to have been buried in the nearby town of Downpatrick, County Down. Saint Patrick is recognized as the patron saint of Ireland, and his writings, noted for their humble voice, include the autobiographical Confessio and Letter to Coroticus.

Many legends also have been associated with his life including that he drove away all the snakes from Ireland and he introduced the Holy Trinity through the three-leaved shamrock.

Saint Patrick is annually honored with the celebration of Saint Patrick's Day on March 17 (which some cite as the date of his death), which falls during the Christian season of Lent. For more than 1,000 years, the Irish have observed Saint Patrick's Day as a religious holiday.

Traditionally, on Saint Patrick's Day, families attend church in the morning and observe other rituals-including eating a traditional meal of cabbage and Irish bacon. The holiday has expanded into the secular world as well, becoming a robust international celebration of Irish culture and heritage.

Fact Check

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Born somewhere in Britain arguably in the late 4th century A.D., the man who would come to be known as Saint Patrick was captured by pirates as a child and brought to Ireland. During his enslavement, he was called to Christianity and escaped his captors after six years.

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St. Patrick’s Day: Origins, Meaning & Background - HISTORY

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St. Patrick’s Day is a global celebration of Irish culture that takes place annually on March 17, the anniversary of the patron saint of Ireland’s death in the fifth century. The holiday has spiritual meaning in Ireland, where it has been observed as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years.

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Celebrated annually on March 17, St. Patrick's Day is a holiday known for parades, shamrocks and all things Irish. From leprechauns to the color green, find out how symbols we now associate with St. Patrick's Day came to be, and learn about a few that are purely American inventions.
WATCH: Saint Patrick: The Man, The Myth on HISTORY Vault
The Shamrock

The shamrock, which was also called the "seamroy" by the Celts, was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland because it symbolized the rebirth of spring. By the seventeenth century, the shamrock had become a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism. As the English began to seize Irish land and make laws against the use of the Irish language and the practice of Catholicism, many Irish began to wear the shamrock as a symbol of their pride in their heritage and their displeasure with English rule.

Did you know? The color traditionally associated with St. Patrick was blue, not green.

Irish Music

Music is often associated with St. Patrick's Day-and Irish culture in general. From ancient days of the Celts, music has always been an important part of Irish life. The Celts had an oral culture, where religion, legend and history were passed from one generation to the next by way of stories and songs.

After being conquered by the English, and forbidden to speak their own language, the Irish, like other oppressed peoples, turned to music to help them remember important events and hold on to their heritage and history. As it often stirred emotion and helped to galvanize people, music was outlawed by the English. During her reign, Queen Elizabeth I even decreed that all artists and pipers were to be arrested and hanged on the spot.

Today, traditional Irish bands like The Chieftains, the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem are gaining worldwide popularity. Their music is produced with instruments that have been used for centuries, including the fiddle, the uilleann pipes (a sort of elaborate bagpipe), the tin whistle (a sort of flute that is actually made of nickel-silver, brass or aluminum) and the bodhran (an ancient type of framedrum that was traditionally used in warfare rather than music).
READ MORE: Who Was St. Patrick?
The Snake

It has long been recounted that, during his mission in Ireland, St. Patrick once stood on a hilltop (which is now called Croagh Patrick), and with only a wooden staff by his side, banished all the snakes from Ireland.

In fact, the island nation was never home to any snakes. The "banishing of the snakes" was really a metaphor for the eradication of pagan ideology from Ireland and the triumph of Christianity. Within 200 years of Patrick's arrival, Ireland was completely Christianized.

Corned Beef and St. Patrick's Day Foods

Each year, thousands of Irish Americans gather with their loved ones on St. Patrick's Day to share a "traditional" meal of corned beef and cabbage.

Though cabbage has long been an Irish food, corned beef only began to be associated with St. Patrick's Day at the turn of the 20th century.

Irish immigrants living on New York City 's Lower East Side substituted corned beef for their traditional dish of Irish bacon to save money. They learned about the cheaper alternative from their Jewish neighbors.

Leprechauns

One icon of the Irish holiday is the Leprechaun. The original Irish name for these figures of folklore is "lobaircin," meaning "small-bodied fellow." Belief in leprechauns probably stems from Celtic belief in fairies, tiny men and women who could use their magical powers to serve good or evil.

In Celtic folktales, leprechauns were cranky souls, responsible for mending the shoes of the other fairies. Though only minor figures in Celtic folklore, leprechauns were known for their trickery, which they often used to protect their much-fabled treasure. Leprechauns have their own holiday on May 13, but are also celebrated on St. Patrick's, with many dressing up as the wily fairies.
WATCH: Are Leprechauns Real?

Fact Check

We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate.

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St. Patrick's Day is a holiday known for parades, shamrocks and all things Irish. From leprechauns to the color green, find out how symbols we now associate with St. Patrick's Day came to be, and learn about a few that are purely American inventions.