‘Great honour’ for Charlie to be named Grand Marshal

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Ex-councillor and TD Charlie O’Connor will lead festivities as the Grand Marshal for Tallaght’s St Patrick’s Day Parade.

The 2026 parade is being organised by the council’s Festival Advisory Committee for the second year in a row, promising another unforgettable day of colour, culture and community spirit.

There had been no St Patrick’s Day Parade in Tallaght village since 2019, due to Covid restrictions and the disbanding of the volunteer committee that organised previous Tallaght parades in 2023.

The 2025 parade, which saw 38 groups take part, was fully organised and funded by the council, with €60,000 earmarked in the 2025 Budget for the Tallaght parade alone.

Mr O’Connor, who turns 80 this year, told The Echo he is “very pleased” to have been chosen as this year’s Grand Marshal.

“It’s a great honour, and a recognition of my community endeavours,” he said.

First elected as a Fianna Fail councillor in 1991, the former politician also was elected as a TD from 2002 until 2011, returning to local politics in 2014 for a further ten years before his retirement in 2024.

“In the lean years when we had no parade, I always lamented that fact and took the view that a major population centre like Tallaght should have its own parade,” he added.

“There’s absolutely huge community endeavour throughout Tallaght and St Patrick’s Day parade is a great opportunity for that to be shown off.”

Mr O’Connor is also encouraging any community groups who have not yet signed up to take part in the parade on Tuesday, March 17, to do so.

A council spokesperson said that the groups already registered to take part in the parade represent “a fantastic cross section of local schools, community organisations and sports clubs” from Tallaght.

“We are hopeful that even more groups will come on board in the coming weeks as we would love to see additional floats, creativity and colour adding to what promises to be a vibrant and festive spectacle,” they added.

Building on the success of last year’s parade, organisers are introducing a dedicated family friendly area, “ensuring that families with young children can enjoy the celebration in a safe and welcoming setting”.

Along with an expanded wheelchair accessible viewing area to “improve comfort and visibility for attendees with mobility needs”, a second neurodiverse fun zone has been added providing a more inclusive and supportive environment for those who may benefit from a quieter, sensory considered space, the council said.

“I would encourage any community group, any club and organization who are in the position to participate in the Tallaght parade on St Patrick’s Day that they should do so, Mr O’Connor said, adding that he was “looking forward on the day to welcoming into Tallaght Village”.

Groups can apply by emailing community@sdublincoco.ie.

The council are also welcoming expressions of interest from local and regional enterprises “interested in sponsoring specific elements of the event”, which can be directed to sponsorship@fusionevents.ie.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Schemes