Northern Ireland

St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin cancelled for the second year in a row

Participants who took part in the St Patrick's Day parade on the streets of Dublin in 2017. Picture by Brian Lawless/PA Wire
Participants who took part in the St Patrick's Day parade on the streets of Dublin in 2017. Picture by Brian Lawless/PA Wire Participants who took part in the St Patrick's Day parade on the streets of Dublin in 2017. Picture by Brian Lawless/PA Wire

THE annual St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin has been cancelled for the second year in a row due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Organisers of the event said virtual events would take place instead.

It comes a week after the St Patrick's Day parade and concert in Belfast was also called off.

The Dublin St Patrick's Festival runs from 12 to 17 March with virtual events to be televised on a special online television channel, St Patrick's Festival TV.

Organisers said they were partnering with RTÉ this year for a virtual parade initiative with the celebrations to be broadcast around the world to a potential audience of 80 million.

"A rich and dynamic programme of festival events, created by hundreds of artists, musicians, performers, makers, creators, arts and live events workers and community organisations across Ireland, will run on the St Patrick's Festival TV online channel over six days and nights," they said.