Group transport for St Patrick's Festival in Dublin
St Patrick's Festival runs from 13 to 17 March 2027, with the parade through Dublin city centre on Wednesday 17 March. For a group, the job is getting close enough without trying to drive into the crowd.
Where a coach can set down
Dublin's on-street coach bays are for parking, not for loading or unloading passengers. Drop-off and pick-up happen at the signed city-centre coach stops, such as Nassau Street. With the parade route running through the city centre, expect some streets and stops to be closed on the day; the operator sets the actual set-down point once closures are announced.
Bus gates also shape the approach: Bachelors Walk and Aston Quay from 07:00 to 19:00, and College Green 24 hours a day.
Dates and venue
- 13-17 March 2027
- Dublin city centre (parade route through the city centre)
Somewhere for the coach to wait
On-street coach spaces have a 2-hour maximum, too short for a parade day. Off-street, the NTA Docklands Coach Park offers 50 bays; the entrance is on Park Lane, just off North Wall Quay, and payment goes through NTA Cashless Parking. Ask the operator where the coach will wait and how long it takes to come back to the pick-up point.
Getting everyone back on board
Choose a meeting point away from the parade route and fix a departure time. Give every group leader the meeting point in writing, the names they are responsible for, and a fallback time if the first one slips. With school groups, put one adult at the front and one at the back when walking to the coach.
Coming up from outside Dublin
For clubs and schools travelling in for the day, the driver's hours matter. The limit is 9 hours driving a day, extendable to 10 twice a week, and a break of at least 45 minutes is due once 4.5 hours have been driven. Kilkenny is about 1.5 h from Dublin; for towns further out, check with the operator that the return fits inside those limits.
The full 2027 programme is due in January 2027. Once it is out, send the operator the events you plan to attend.
Questions
When is the St Patrick's Day parade in 2027?
Wednesday 17 March 2027. The festival itself runs from 13 to 17 March.
Can the coach wait near the parade route?
Don't plan on it. It sets down at a coach stop and then parks off-street, for example at the NTA Docklands Coach Park, until the agreed return time.
When is the festival programme published?
The full 2027 programme is due in January 2027.
Cities
Airports
Book festival transport early
Tell us the date, group size, pick-up town and what you plan to see. A licensed partner operator quotes, and you decide.
Request a quote or call 35312659152