If you’re searching mothers day ireland and organizing family plans for mid-March, here are the confirmed St Patrick’s Day 2026 parades, routes, and traffic restrictions across the Republic of Ireland, including key updates for North Dublin.
Mothers Day Ireland: What’s Happening On March 17, 2026
Communities across Ireland are finalizing floats, marching bands, and pageantry for St Patrick’s Day on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. In Dublin, the national parade is set to draw a crowd expected to top half a million, with 12 large-scale floats and more than 3, 000 participants. The route runs from Parnell Square through the city center to the junction of Kevin Street and Cuffe Street. Returning pageant-makers include Macnas, Bui Bolg, Spraoi, Inishowen Carnival Group, Curious State, Volkidana, The Outing Queer Arts Collective, Artastic and ArtFX, with new entries from Lumen Street Theatre and Show CoMotion. The Rotunda Hospital makes its first appearance with a special float designed by ArtFX.
Regional parades are also locked in. Limerick’s city celebration carries the theme “Legends of Limerick, ” with athletics ace Ava Crean as grand marshal. The route begins on O’Connell Avenue (Roden Street junction), goes down Lower Glentworth Street, onto Henry Street, and up Honan’s Quay to finish on Rutland Street. In Cork city, the parade starts on South Mall, continues to Grand Parade and St Patrick’s Street, and finishes on Merchant’s Quay — with the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind serving as grand marshals to mark their 50th anniversary. Galway’s route runs from University of Galway over Salmon Weir Bridge to Eglinton Street, through Eyre Square, and concludes on Prospect Hill.
Key Parade Times And Routes (ET)
Times below are converted to Eastern Time (ET) for planning. Routes reflect official schedules:
- Dublin national parade: starts 8: 00 am ET; route from Parnell Square through the city center to Kevin Street/Cuffe Street.
- Limerick city: route set (start time not specified in the schedule provided); O’Connell Avenue to Rutland Street.
- Cork city: expected to start 9: 00 am ET; South Mall to Grand Parade and St Patrick’s Street, finishing at Merchant’s Quay.
- Galway city: expected to run roughly 7: 30 am ET to 9: 00 am ET; University of Galway to Prospect Hill Salmon Weir Bridge, Eglinton Street, and Eyre Square.
- Malahide: starts 10: 00 am ET; from the Cricket Club over the R106 railway bridge to Main Street, The Mall, Coast Road, finishing at the Grand Hotel.
- Swords: starts 7: 00 am ET; Coláiste Choilm, Dublin Road to Main Street, right at Bridge St junction, along North Street, finishing at Swords Castle Town Park.
- Raheny: 9: 00 am ET–10: 30 am ET; local parade with extensive community participation.
Expect road closures and diversions along all listed routes to facilitate the parades.
North Dublin: Road Closures, Parking, And Stewarding
Three North Dublin events — in Malahide, Swords, and Raheny — include specific movement and parking restrictions on March 17, 2026:
• Malahide: Road closures will surround the route from the Cricket Club across the R106, through Main Street and The Mall to the Coast Road and Grand Hotel. Delays and diversions are expected while floats and participants move through the area.
• Swords: Traffic will be heavily managed along the Dublin Road–Main Street corridor through the Bridge St junction and onto North Street, finishing near Swords Castle Town Park. Allow extra time for detours.
• Raheny: The parade window runs 9: 00 am ET–10: 30 am ET with approximately 1, 400 participants from around 60 local groups. Roughly 100 stewards from Raheny Shamrocks and Raheny GAA will marshal the event, with Gardaí positioned at key points along the route and on approach roads. A total of 300 no-parking cones will be placed by 8: 00 pm ET on March 16 (local preparations begin the evening before) along designated streets, and vehicles along the route will be cleared for safety. Patrons are encouraged to use public transportation. Parking will be available in St Anne’s Park, All Saints Estate, and around Raheny Village. The taxi rank on Howth Road will be closed for the duration, with taxis accommodated in the Windsor Motors car park. Organizers have arranged 150 barriers for crowd and traffic control. Section 21 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 will be in force to regulate movement of persons and vehicles around the parade route.
For families mapping out mothers day ireland plans alongside St Patrick’s festivities, the confirmed routes, ET-adjusted start times, and local restrictions above outline the key windows to travel early, use public transport where possible, and plan meetups away from main thoroughfares while parades are in motion.
