Cork native Tara Flynn announced as Grand Marshal of St Patrick's Day festival

Cork actress, comedian and writer Tara Flynn has been named as Grand Marshal of this year's national St Patrick's Festival.

The six day festival which takes place from March 12-17 will be held virtually this year.

A new dedicated TV channel will offer more than 100 free events during the festival in celebration of Ireland's patron saint. 

SPF TV will broadcast to 1.1 million homes in Ireland through the Oireachtas TV channel and will stream globally at stpatricksfestival.ie, every day from 9:30am through to late night.

Dúisigh Éire! Awaken Ireland! Today, the programme for the National St. Patrick’s Festival, 12-17 March 2021, is unveiled. Festival Programme and more information at https://t.co/wgjiZXQ23I ☘️
@DeptCulturelRL @Failte_Ireland @DubCityCouncil#SPF2021 #SPFTV #stpatricksfestival pic.twitter.com/5RM0tbrn5L

— St. Patrick's Festival 🇮🇪🐍☘️💚 (@stpatricksfest) February 17, 2021

"To be asked to be the Grand Marshal of this year’s virtual St Patrick’s Festival is a great honour," said Ms Flynn, who currently resides in Dublin.

"I’ve never felt more Irish! Plus they asked. I mean, it’s virtual but you could say I’m virtually delighted!"

St Patrick’s Festival Interim Director Anna McGowan said organisers are delighted Ms Flynn has taken up the invitation.

"We were searching for the right person to host St Patrick’s Festival TV (SPF TV), someone who would be a great representative of the Irish spirit and well able for the challenge of presenting a global broadcast. 

"We approached Tara Flynn and were delighted when she agreed. 

"She’s a fantastic ambassador for Ireland, a great host for SPF TV and as she is ‘leading out’ the virtual St Patrick’s Festival, she also makes perfect sense as our honorary virtual Grand Marshal this year," she said.

'Dúisigh Eire! Awaken Ireland!' is the theme for this year's festival, which organisers say is a "clarion call to the Irish across the world to throw off the long, dark months and rise to embrace the brighter days ahead."