Patrick Kielty named as Grand Marshal for St Patrick's Day parade: 'It's like an extra birthday'

Patrick Kielty has been announced as this year’s Grand Marshal for the St Patrick’s Day parade.

The Late Late Show host was unveiled this morning as Grand Marshal for the 2024 National St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 17.

The announcement sees him celebrate six months since he took over the Friday night chat show.

He said: “I couldn’t be more excited to be this year’s Grand Marshal and can’t thank the Festival enough for asking me to be part of our biggest day.

“It’s such an honour to be asked and I was genuinely gobsmacked when the call came in. When you’re lucky enough to be called Patrick, St Patrick’s Day always feels like an extra birthday and I can’t wait to get the world’s biggest party started on March 17th.”

Lord Mayor of Dublin, Daithí de Róiste said: “The National St. Patrick’s Day Parade is one of our most special occasions, celebrating the Spréach of the people of Ireland, which unites us all both here in Dublin and across the globe.

“As my first St. Patrick’s Festival as Lord Mayor of Dublin, I am so looking forward to watching the many pageants and marching bands that make up this spectacular event. It’s also Patrick Kielty’s first year in his role as host of the iconic Late Late Show, and so I’m delighted to see him selected as our Grand Marshal for this year’s Parade. I’d encourage everyone to come together and enjoy all that the city has to offer this St. Patrick’s Day.”

Patrick Kielty will lead the St Patrick’s Day parade

The theme of this year’s Festival and Parade is ‘Spréach’, the Irish word for Spark, which organisers say “represents the unique essence of Ireland and of Irish People.”

With half a million spectators expected to line this year’s route, the Parade will feature 18 pageants and performance showpieces, 14 marching bands from across Ireland, North America and France and over 4,000 participants in what is shaping up to be the largest ever National St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

A new pageant has been commissioned featuring a collaboration between the St. Patrick’s Festival Community Arts programme and the North-East Inner-City Partnership (NEIC).

The pageant will honour and celebrate the Festival’s connection to Dublin’s inner city, with its own residents taking centre stage on the streets of the capital.

St. Patrick’s Festival CEO, Richard Tierney: “With more participants than ever before, this year’s national St. Patrick’s Day Parade is shaping up to be the most spectacular National St. Patrick’s Day Parade yet.

“We’re thrilled to have Patrick Kielty as our Grand Marshal for this year, someone who truly appreciates the spark of the Irish and who celebrates it through his work on our screens every Friday night.

“An expert in entertainment, we’re sure he’ll be thrilled by the incredible talent that will be showcased across the city on March 17th.”

Ciara Sugrue, Head of Festivals and Events, Fáilte Ireland, said: “Entertainment and storytelling are at the heart of St Patrick’s Festival Dublin so it’s really fitting to have comedian and TV presenter Patrick Kielty lead out this year’s parade.

“With the world-class marching bands, pageantry of the parade and a packed programme of wider festival events, the festival not only gives visitors the opportunity to experience the very best of our capital city but also showcases Ireland as a fantastic tourist destination to people around the world.”

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