On St. Patrick's Day the world was Irish! What better place to be than Dublin for the best parade in the world. 3,500 performers presented an inspirational show of pageantry, music, pomp and ceremony. This year's Parade theme was, Glorious, refers to the colours, the stories, the music, the costumes and the weather on the day certainly lived up to the name!

The battle-harp announced the arrival of Francis Morgan’s Glory Train and a bejewelled chariot arrived with the liberating hero in dazzling golden armour. Shackled faceless slaves towed a huge caged prisoner. Guards joking and laughing huddled, oblivious to the waifs and orphans competing for scraps on the streets.

Regular visitors to the parade, the Inishowen Carnival Group always surprise and thrill parade viewers. This year
saw a glistening shoal of tropical fish trying to dodge boats and nets while mermaid queens and Neptune’s Army
dance with sonar whales and electric eels. There were also bouncing jellyfish and star sailors twirling gracefully
along on eight foot high stilts.

Storici Sbandieratori delle Contrade de Cori, Italian flag-wavers, from Cori, a town near Rome, brought the medieval art of flag waving to 21st Century Dublin. Since 1976, the group have perfected the choreography of the tossing and exchanging of flags, performing everywhere from Cuba to Peru and Tokyo.

This is the second year that popular Galician Bagpipe Band from Madrid, Lume de Biqueira entertained the festival crowds. We were delighted to welcome them back to play their lively Galician and Austrian pieces along with Scottish and Irish jigs. Wexford's Bui Bolg took us back to the magical days of Cu Chulainn with this epic clash of the ash. Towering above the streets, the House of Chulainn was divided as the supporters set this "stadium on wheels” alight, with passion. A clever and colourful pageant from one of the festival’s annual participants.

Model-making students at IADT were commissioned by the festival to produce fantastical creatures representing the four elements of nature- Earth, Air, Fire and Water. In magnificent colour- each element was symbolised by birds, fish, dragons and beasts.

A glorious parade wouldn’t have been complete without the most glorious of animals. A 20ft lion is on the prowl from the town of Arras in France. The lion is the symbol of the town and was inspired by a bronze statue on the top of the belfry of Arras.

Omagh Community Arts Initiative brought us a Bohemian Rhapsody in Wonderland where Alice in Wonderland meets Freddie Mercury in a surreal feast singing and dancing to satisfy all the senses.

Artastic presented Knicker Bocker Glorious, a bunch of hungry but friendly disco monsters had taken over the streets in a mad search for ice cream. Beware anything or anyone was likely to become a desert!

Back by popular demand- Puca –the all time parade favourite - returned in 2004. Through coloured smoke the magical dragon winded through the streets, towering over every child and adult he meets. There is no place to hide. Puca see’s everything but don’t be afraid.

Echoing the legend of Diarmuid and Grainne Barrio Seanchae had sculpted 6 beautiful steel and wrought iron centrepieces to represent the glory of dawn. 100 performers animated the intricately-carved centrepieces, drawing on key elements of selected stories, poems and songs that relate directly to the moments just before and after sunrise.

Masamba brought the style and beat of Brazilian Carnaval to the 2004 parade. Exotic animals and birds of the rainforest danced their way along with the Indian King and Queen in spectacular Brazilian plumage playing Samba-enredo - a music style specific to Carnaval.

There’s nothing quite as glorious as victory, especially after a good old-fashioned siege. Ready for action…Waterford Spraoi brought a farcical group of knights led by their master Lord Astaire. Terms of surrender were offered to anyone who looks sideways at them.

Also taking part in this year’s parade were 9 marching bands from Europe and the USA and two Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers and Canadian flag bearers celebrated the many ties between Ireland and Canada.

The Vintage and Veteran Car Owners Club, Southern Volks Folks - Ireland's largest VW owners club along with

the Goldwing motorbikes, rounded off the 2004 parade with their usual flare and pizzazz.