Festival organizers have ambitious new plans to expand the celebrations
St. Patrick’s Festival organizers in Dublin are eyeing an expansion to a month-long schedule in coming years.
Read more: Enjoy St. Patrick’s Day 2019 in Dublin with CIE Tours
On Tuesday, the theme for the 2019 St. Patrick’s Festival in Dublin was officially announced to be “Storytelling.”
Launch day is finally here!!
— St. Patrick's Festival (@stpatricksfest) February 12, 2019
We're proud to announce our FIVE-DAY Storytelling Spectacle for 2019’s #StPatricksFest celebrations!
Join us from 14th – 18th March.
See our full programme of events here: https://t.co/AIawjx4TQ0 pic.twitter.com/q1NAHenz1U
Susan Kirby, CEO of the St. Patrick’s Festival, said: “This is a 3,000 participant, five-day statement of intent around our nationality, our values and culture and a platform to remind people what is unique about Ireland.”
“As well as promoting our heritage, it is a chance to truly reflect on the zeitgeist of Ireland, what inspires us and challenges us today.”
Kirby added: “The Festival has achieved extraordinary growth and success in recent years with more than 500,000 people attending the Festival Parade alone, delivering an overall benefit to our economy in excess of €73 million.”
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This year’s Festival in Dublin, which is funded by Fáilte Ireland, Dublin City Council and the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, will run from March 14 through March 18.
Speaking at the launch event, Kirby said: "We've a really rich international program last year and this - so it's part of our ambition to continue to grow those activities and to have a month-long celebration which pivots around the week in March.”
The Irish Times reports that CEO Kirby has offered a “statement of intent” on the ambitious new plan at this point, with the next step being a business case.
There will be no rushing into a month-long event schedule - a timeline for the expansion efforts begins in 2020, eyeing a 2029 execution.
Read more: Why isn’t St. Patrick’s Day a public holiday in the US?
“I am a fan of people coming together to do exceptional things in the city, and what that gives us,” says Kirby.
“The greatest reward,” says Kirby, “would be in terms of active citizenship and participation in the arts, and standing really proud over the time of our festival.”
“And then all the benefits from that – tourism, economic, the opportunity to invite people in [to Ireland] during the month of March.”
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