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Bray St. Patrick’s Festival for 2018 Launches

Bray is packed full of incredible experiences that you can’t get anywhere else so why not bring the whole family to the St. Patrick’s Festival which returns March 10th until March 19th 2018.

Enjoy a fun fair, live music, an open-air céilí, puppet shows, street theatre, walks, trails and of course the main event the Festival Parade. It’s 6 days of great family fun. It’s also the perfect time to see some amazing performances at Mermaid Arts Centre or simply catch some live music at one of the many venues throughout the town.

President of the Bray & District Chamber of Commerce, Pat Ó Súilleabháin said ‘Bray has now become a destination to help celebrate the spirit of St. Patrick. In the past 3 years, there have been over 100k visitors to the town alone. One of our aims is to drive tourism with vibrant festivals and events in order to increase visitor numbers to help boost the town’s local economy. The St. Patrick’s Festival Bray really goes a long way in helping achieve our goals. This year’s festival has something for everyone and I really hope everyone enjoys the 6 days of great family fun this year’.

The Bray Parade which is one of the largest on the east coast will start at the earlier time of 2 pm and we are expecting thousands to line the town’s streets like previous years. Visitors will be treated to the sights and sounds of the marching bands, majorettes, local groups, clubs and more. Watch creative acts, floats, the pageantry, colour, music, dance and entertainment from the many participants on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th.

Road closures will be in place on March 17th from 1 pm until after 4 pm to facilitate the Bray Parade. Roads affected include Main Street, Quinsboro Road, Seapoint Road and Strand Road.

This year there are over 30 events here are the highlights:

  • Birds Euroshow returns to Bray over the weekend of March 10th & 11th and then again daily from March 16th until Bank Holliday Monday, March 19th.
  • The festival’s main event the Bray Parade will kick off at 2 pm this year from the Town Hall to the viewing stand at the northern part of the Seafront.
  • Learn how to Irish dance on Sunday, March 18th then afterwards enjoy an open-air Céilí with The Berry Irish Dance Academy.
  • Enjoy Julie Rose as she wows audiences young and old with her collection of Puppet Shows from Punch and Judy to Oisín in Tír na nÓg also on Sunday, March 18th.
  • The Bray Head Walk is back this year with Bray Adventures and new for this year is a historical walk. Brian White of the Bray Cualann Historical Society will conduct a walking tour of Bray Main Street. The tour will trace Bray’s links with Shamrock, serpents, patriotic visitors and events that occurred in Bray during St Patrick’s week. There are limited spaces for both walks so make sure you book early here.
  • The Bray Vintage Car Club will be showcasing some of their members beautiful classic and vintage cars on Sunday, March 18th from 2 pm to 4 pm.
  • On Monday, March 19th watch Monsieur Gusto perform some spectacular outdoor circus performances including handstands, magic, juggling & escapology routines.
  • Or why not soak up the atmosphere over the St. Patrick’s long weekend and listen to the jigs and reels in the many venues throughout the town.

Mick Glynn, St. Patrick’s Festival Chairman said ‘A big thanks to our sponsors who fund all the events, our committee, volunteers, participants and the emergency services. A large festival like this wouldn’t be possible without the great support, enthusiasm and expertise from these people’.

‘There are over 30 events taking place throughout the town during the festival so why not join us over the long weekend and help celebrate our national day’ added Mick.

The Committee would appreciate if the public, both spectators and participants alike would leave the Silly String at home this year as it is banned in Bray during the dates 15th to 19th March. These are harmful and interfere with public events, such as the parade. Thank you for your cooperation in advance!

Bray’s St. Patrick’s Festival is proudly brought to you by Bray & District Chamber of Commerce and Wicklow County Council.

More information about the festival can be found on our dedicated festival page here. Keep up to date with the latest festival news by following us on Twitter @Bray_ie or liking us on Facebook @BrayTown.