Bringing your group to St Patrick's Festival
St Patrick's Festival fills Dublin from 13 to 17 March 2027, and the big parade winds through the city centre on Wednesday 17 March. Here's how to get your family, club or visiting group there and home again without fuss.
Getting dropped off
Your minibus or coach can't drop you in the thick of the parade. The city's on-street coach bays can't be used for loading, so boarding and alighting happen at the signed city coach stops, Nassau Street being one. On parade day some streets and stops will close, so the operator confirms the exact set-down once closures are announced.
Bus gates add to the puzzle: through traffic is kept off Bachelors Walk and Aston Quay from 7am to 7pm, and off College Green all day and night.
Dates and venue
- Dublin city centre (parade route through the city centre)
- 13-17 March 2027
While you watch the parade
On-street coach spaces allow two hours at most, which won't cover a parade day. One option is the NTA Docklands Coach Park, with 50 off-street bays reached from Park Lane off North Wall Quay. Ask where your vehicle will wait and how long it needs to come back for you.
Finding each other afterwards
Crowds make it easy to lose people. Pick a meeting point well away from the parade route, agree a firm time to leave, and give every adult a note of both. With children, have one adult lead the way to the vehicle and another bring up the rear.
Travelling up from the country
Coming from Cork, Galway or Kerry for the day? A driver can drive nine hours a day, ten on two days a week, and needs a 45-minute break after four and a half hours. A long round trip plus a day in town can push against those limits, so a night in Dublin may be kinder to everyone.
The full 2027 programme is expected in January 2027. Once it's out, tell us which events you'd like to catch.
Questions
What date is the parade in 2027?
Wednesday 17 March 2027. The festival runs from 13 to 17 March.
Can our minibus wait near the parade?
Not usually. It sets you down at a coach stop, then parks somewhere like the NTA Docklands Coach Park until your pick-up time.
When is the full programme published?
It is due in January 2027.
Cities
Airports
Coming for the parade?
Tell us the day, where you're setting out from, how many are going and what you'd like to see. We pass it on to a licensed, insured operator for a price.
Request a quote or call 35312659159