RIVALS actor Victoria Smurfit will lead Ireland’s national St Patrick’s Day parade.
The star, who has featured in the likes of Ballykissangel, Once Upon a Time and Marcella, has been confirmed as the Grand Marshal of the 2025 parade in Dublin which gets underway on Monday, March 17.
“To be asked to lead the parade is truly a dream come true,” she said.
Victoria Smurfit will lead the Dublin St Patrick's Day parade“I can’t wait to celebrate with everyone at home and those joining us from around the globe.”
Fan will have seen Smurfit starring as Maud O’Hara in the recent Disney+ series Rivals, in which she features alongside Aidan Turner and David Tennant.
Her performance in that earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at this year’s Irish Film and Television Awards, although her lengthy screen career includes roles in Bloodlands, The Man Who Fell to Earth and Strike Back.
Those who are attending this year’s parade, which kicks off in the capital at 12noon next Monday, can expect to see much more of the action as the floats have been built taller to enable the crowds to see them better.
St Patrick's Festival CEO Richard Tierney at a Festival briefing in Dublin this weekSpeaking at a Garda briefing on the the event this week, St Patrick’s Festival director Richard Tierney said many of the floats have been built higher than they have been in recent years
“We are restricted by the Luas line, but, outside the Luas line, a lot of the floats will expand,” he said.
“We have the community groups who, instead of being on the ground, will be on the floats. This year it is going to be taller,” he added.
This year’s parade will follow the usual four kilometre route from Parnell Square to Christchurch Cathedral, while the theme of this year’s St Patrick’s Festival is 'adventures' (Eachtraí), which organisers say "represents the unique essence of Ireland and of Irish people".
"It’s what sets us apart and what brings us together, and oftentimes it’s the reason that people from all over the world have a special place in their hearts for Irish people, place and culture," they explain.
"The theme represents the famed and legendary adventurous spirit that lives inside us all, known and loved the world over as a defining symbol of Irishness," they add.
"It is that innate ability as a nation to transform fear into courage, face any challenge head on and turn it into an adventure, forging new paths as we go."
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