PICTURES: Smiles and cheers all around at St Patrick's Day parade in Limerick City

THERE were smiles and cheers all around as this year's St Patrick's Day parade in the city lived up to its theme of 'A more fun Limerick'.

The city streets were alive with vibrant colours, joyous music, and the spirit of community, with a crowd of up to 70,000 spectators of all ages embracing the fun during a showcase of Limerick’s rich cultural heritage and diverse communities.

The parade featured an impressive line-up, including a cavalcade of blue lights and sirens from the emergency services that play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and well-being of the community.

An array of cultural groups brought their unique traditions and vibrant performances to the celebration while the Limerick City Special Olympics Sports Club and various local sports teams showcased Limerick’s sporting prowess.

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Leading the parade was the Army flag followed by the Boherbuoy Brass and Reed Band, celebrating their 175th anniversary.

There was a warm reception for the parade Grand Marshal, Róisín Ní Riain, a two-time Paralympian and world champion swimmer who was wearing the silver and bronze medals she secured at the Paris Paralympic Games last summer.

Lumen Street Theatre brought us “The Pure and the Daycent”, a showcase of medieval scholars, adding a touch of whimsy and artistic flair.

Mayor John Moran exclaimed: "It’s brilliant! Everyone is in great form, ready to party. There is a big crowd here this year and even the rain is holding off. Every year we have a theme for the Limerick St Patrick’s Fesitval and this year we wanted to get more fun into Limerick. It’s a big part of the Mayoral Programme that we just really enjoy where we live and you can tell people are out having fun. Yesterday the International Band Championship was amazing. I was out at the Newcastle West parade in the afternoon and I’m heading out to Bruff and Abbeyfeale later today. Right across the county people are out celebrating our patron saint and it is great to see.”

Róisín Ní Riain added being parade grand marshal was an "honour", and she added: "I was super excited. It was a wonderful experience and it was so nice to see everyone out on the streets and the community coming together. The crowds were huge and that makes it so much nicer. It was great to meet so many people and to see everyone enjoying themselves."

Prizes on the day were awarded to the following entries:

● Best Overall Performance – Limerick Migrant Integration Forum

● A More Fun Limerick - University of Limerick Language Centre

● Best Youth Group – Limerick Youth Service

● Best Creative Entry – Southill Family Resource Centre

● Best Musical Performance – The Band Club, Limerick

● Best Community Award – Limerick Mental Health

● Best Upcycling/Sustainability Award – Murroe Boher, 14th Scout Troop

Eileen Coleman, senior executive officer, tourism, festivals and events at Limerick City and County Council said it was a fantastic weekend of celebration:

“Limerick St. Patrick’s Festival has been really successful with tens of thousands of people lining the streets for the International Band Championship yesterday, out enjoying the St. Patrick’s Day parade today and all the other events across the weekend. The people of Limerick have been brilliant, they have all come out and enjoyed themselves and embraced our theme, a more fun Limerick," she said.

There was a small delay to the start of the parade. It is understood this was due to a medical emergency.

The gardai could not confirm this.