Editorial: Míse Éire - Waterford pulls out all the stops for a spectacular St Patrick's weekend
Grand Marshal Thomas Barr received a piece of crystal from Metropolitan Mayor of Waterford Cllr Joe Kelly, who took part in the Waterford City St. Patrick's Day Parade. Photo: Joe Evans
As Waterford community groups and clubs came out in force to celebrate St Patrick's Day across the city and county, it was a reminder of the rich and vibrant multicultural tapestry that makes up the Déise of 2025, and of the incredible value of volunteerism to our Déise society.
The theme of the St Patrick's festivities in Waterford this year, 'Saints & Scholars – a celebration of Waterford's rich heritage', was marked across the festival, by parades, performances, carnivals and music throughout the Bank Holiday weekend.
The Waterford city parade saw all ages represented, from sports clubs to theatre groups, dance clubs to emergency service organisations, community and youth groups, and a huge variety of nationalities celebrating their culture.
Their joy at being part of such a special Irish cultural phenomenon, and pride in their own heritage, was reflected in the showcase of colour, music and dance on the streets of Waterford.
Watching the Waterford city parade online on Waterford In Your Pocket, the Déise diaspora comments from across the globe showed that, in turn, Waterford's cultural reach goes far beyond the shores of the Suir estuary.
On this one day, we get a snapshot of the activities ongoing in Waterford, all year round. These activities provide our population, and our young people in particular, with the possibility to lean in to community, and the opportunity to explore and expand on their interests and talents, whether they are sporting, creative, theatrical, dance, cultural and much more besides.
Marching alongside the children were a veritable army of adults who give of their time, energy and enthusiasm to these countless organisations.
Mums, dads, older siblings, youth leaders who previously enjoyed their time working up the ranks of club, all form the backdrop to these groups, providing an invaluable source of leadership across Waterford communities.
Role models, such as Grand Marshal of the city parade this year, Olympian Thomas Barr of Ferrybank AC, provide our young people with the inspiration they need to believe in and chase their own dreams.
Meanwhile, the tourism aspect of Waterford's St Patrick's festivities can also not be underestimated. The home of street theatre giants, Spraoi, put on a show worthy of a leading Irish regional city, and visitors to the South East capital were entertained with a high-calibre of Irish fun across the bank holiday weekend. It was lovely to see videos emerging across social media of our outdoor spaces, including the stunning Apple Market, as Irish music and revelry was enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.
The same week it emerged that Fáilte Ireland is planning a major tourism attraction for the North Quays project that will further elevate Waterford's standing on the national stage.
Described as "an attraction of scale" at the north side of the river in Waterford City, Fáilte Ireland recognises the necessity to develop such a visitor attraction in order to develop "a transformational project for tourism across the South East region".
As part of Fáilte Ireland's new five-year plan to drive and sustain tourism in Waterford and the region, it is heartening and exciting to hear of such ambition at a national level for Waterford. We will watch this space with much anticipation.
