Cork St Patrick's Day Parade attendees asked to plan ahead

CORK’S St Patrick’s Festival begins today and runs until Monday 18, and An Garda Síochána has shared information for anyone planning to attend the festivities, including warning against public consumption of alcohol.

The St Patrick’s Day Parade will begin at 1pm on Sunday, led by Cork band The Frank and Walters, and will feature more than 3,100 participants and 58 groups.

It will begin at the junction of South Mall and Parnell Place, then make its way along South Mall, Grand Parade, and up Patrick Street to finish on Merchants Quay.

The parade will be streamed live on www.corkstpatricksfestival.ie/parade from 12.45pm on Sunday, and anyone who would like to send a message to the live stream should message on social media.

Wheelchair users and those with special needs will be accommodated in a special area in front of Dunnes Stores on Patrick Street, and there will be ISL interpreter services available beside the grandstand, which this year is situated near the Tourist Information Office on Patrick Street.

Cork’s Red FM and The Echo are the media sponsors of the Cork St Patrick’s Festival, and KC, presenter of Breakfast on Cork’s Red FM, will MC the parade.

An Garda Síochána is advising those attending the parade to pick an area along the route to view the parade ahead of time, arrive early, and plan the journey into the city in advance, using public transport or park-and-ride facilities where possible.

They also advised keeping children under close supervision to avoid being accidentally separated in the crowd, packing sensibly, minding personal belongings, and following the instructions of gardaí and stewards. There will be road closures and traffic restrictions in place across the city centre from early morning on Sunday, and information on road closures and diversions, bus re-routing, and park-and-ride bus facilities will all be posted on corkstpatricksfestival.ie, along with a full listing of festival events.

Motorists and those who must commute into or through the city on Sunday are asked to plan in advance.

Chief Superintendent Thomas Myers said: “We have been working closely with Cork City Council and festival organisers to ensure that a full policing plan is in place to safely facilitate the parade and the range of planned events due to take place around the city.

“Gardaí will be out working hard throughout the weekend to make sure that everyone is safe, and we ask for the public’s help in this.

“Please refrain from any on-street, public consumption of alcohol, most especially during the day. It won’t be tolerated. Our priority is that everyone safely enjoys themselves.”