"Are you mad?” a friend said to me last weekend when I told her that I was taking my two-year-old and five-year-old to the ‘big parade’ in Dublin on St Patrick’s Day. “The crowds, and trying to get in and out, and it’ll be freezing,” she complained.

“Yeah, but that’s all part of an Irish childhood, and anyway, to them, it’s magic,” I replied, laughing.

Said pessimistic friend had a point. It was a military operation of snacks and logistics.

There was a meltdown when a green badge was lost and I had to apologise profusely when my two-year-old whacked a young fella on the head with a flag. But you couldn’t buy the expression on their faces when the Macnas group from Galway arrived with ‘Turas Alf’, a giant newt.

Alf was a visual masterpiece about climate change and habitat loss. The message might have been a little lost on my daughter but the sheer scale and impact was mesmerising, as she inquisitively asked, “But Mammy, just how did they do it?’

Fourteen marching bands in perfect co-ordination, who had travelled from as far away as Alaska, Florida and Austria, had the kids dancing. And a big cheer went out for the Artane Band, ‘the smallest big band in the country’ which took a break from its usual route around Croke Park for the day that was in it.

I’ll admit it was cold (alright, it was freezing!) but ArtFX in Wicklow brought a ray of sunshine with ‘Fierce Mild’, a playful tribute to our unpredictable spring weather while the Inishowen Carnival Group injected an eerie feel with its giant pucas.

Bring on the parade

Since becoming a parent, St Patrick’s Day has taken on a whole new meaning for me. I enjoy it on a different level – viewing it through the eyes of a child. It really is a day for the kids, making memories and instilling in them an appreciation of their culture and heritage.

In Limerick this year, the theme was ‘Time for More Fun’, celebrating the youth of the county through performance, song and dance. In Cork, the young performers from local heroes ‘Kabin Crew’ were the grand marshals, kicking off the parade with their song ‘The Spark’ while children in Belfast were playing more traditional music as the parade served as a warm-up act for hosting the Fleadh Cheoil next year.

In Carlow, the kids involved in local sporting groups took to the streets and were celebrated. And watching it all on the news that evening, the one thing that was consistent was the big smiles.

For many groups, the parade was weeks, even months in the making. There is a huge amount of thought and work that goes into the theme, the visuals and logistics. There are hours of practising, parents doing collections and making costumes.

And while production companies are involved in the bigger parades, often the efforts are even more pronounced in local towns and villages where the community group is voluntarily driving it on.

But whether you’re old or young, marching the streets or showing up to support, it’s always worth it because this cultural celebration of music, colour and flair certainly warms the heart on a cold, March day.