Home Bonanza Over Holiday Weekend
Hotels, restaurants, bars and visitor attractions had a bumper weekend as the Irish turned out in spades to celebrate not just St. Patrick, but huge sporting success as the country dominated the Cheltenham Racing Festival and won the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship for the second successive year.
In almost every town and village, large crowds watched parades and then retired to local hostelries. The long weekend also encouraged hotel breaks with high occupancy levels reported in all regions.
The St Patrick’s Day Parade in Dún Laoghaire was a spectacular event this year, with up to 50 groups taking part in the festivities and Bobby Kerr acting as MC.
The L.E. George Bernard Shaw sailed into Dún Laoghaire, hosting two open days for the public to tour the ship.
Bray, Co. Wicklow staged a weekend of music, cultural events and a Fun Fair with an estimated 20,000 people watching the parade.
Bunratty Castle in Clare was lit up in green throughout the weekend as part of a programme of entertainment kickstarting the 2024 tourist season.
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