St. Patrick’s Day Service Arrangements

There will be a number of diversions in place for the St. Patrick’s Festival 2026.

For further details of diversions please click on the links below.

Nitelink Service
Nitelinks will operate from Friday 13, Saturday 14 and Tuesday 17 March 2026.

24-hour services
24-hour services will be in operation seven days a week across fifteen routes.

Tuesday 17 March 2026 – St. Patrick’s Day
A Sunday service will operate on all routes on St. Patrick’s Day.

Route Diversions

Dublin City St Patrick’s Day Parade Diversions

• Celbridge St Patrick’s Day

St Patrick’s Day, Bank Holiday Tuesday 17th March

• Regular InterCity services will operate for all routes with some additional services.
• For DART and Commuter services Sunday timetable is in operation with some additional services.
• Customers are advised that Tara Street Station will be closed until 16 PM, to facilitate Garda crowd management arrangements for the Parade. Please use Connolly or Pearse Stations during this time.
•  Please check irishrail.ie or the Iarnród Éireann app for the most up to date information.

Take the train for Patrick’s Day 2026

Cork (Kent)

The Cork’s St.Patricks Day Parade 2026 takes place on March 17th at 1pm, featuring over 3,000 participants along a central city route.
Book the lowest train fares to Cork from Midleton, Cobh, Fota or Mallow.

Galway (Ceannt)

Galway’s St Patrick’s Day parade in 2026 will be the largest St Patrick’s Day spectacle the city has ever seen.

The parade starts at 11.00am and runs through Galway city centre for over 1 hour.

Book train to Galway parade from Athenry, Athlone or Gort

Waterford (Plunkett)

The St. Patrick’s Day Festival will run for five fun-filled days from March 13th–17th, 2026..

Book the train to Waterford celebrations from Carlow, Kilkenny or Clonmel

Sligo (MacDiarmada)

Sligo St. Patrick’s Festival returns again for 2026 with colour, culture and creativity under the theme of Legends Live Here.

Rail to Sligo from Mullingar, Carrick on Shannon or Longford,

St Patrick’s Day 2026

The below changes are in place to facilitate the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Dublin City on the 17th of March.

Trams will operate on a Sunday timetable.

There will be no Red Line trams running between Smithfield and Connolly from 10 AM to 3 PM. Red Line trams will run between Tallaght/Saggart and Smithfield only during these times. (subject to change at short notice)

There will be no Green Line trams running between St. Stephen’s Green and Dominick from 7 AM to 6 PM. Trams will run between Broombridge and Dominick, and between St. Stephen’s Green and Brides Glen only during these times. (subject to confirmation)

For the most up to date information please visit here

Several Go-Ahead Ireland routes will be diverted on Monday 17th March. Please see the details on the Go-Ahead Ireland website.

Bus Éireann will operate their services to Sunday timetables on the 17th of March.

Parades

Bus services will be diverted including town and city bus service routes, as well as PSO Commuter and Rural Routes,  due to local parades taking place around the country.

• SPD St Patricks Day Dublin – List of Road Closures 2026 (PDF)

Cork city road closures and diversions on Tuesday, 17^th March

Road closures

Closed to traffic except buses, from 06:30 to 17:30:

• Patrick’s Street North bound – from just beyond Daunt Square turn (outside Dealz) to St. Patrick’s Bridge
• Drawbridge St. – from junction of Academy St. and Emmet Place
• Perry St. – at junction with Lavitt’s Quay

Closed to traffic from 07:00 to 16:00:

• Copley St.
• Union Quay
• Stable Lane
• Connell St.
• Lapp’s Quay
• Clontarf St. West Lane (from Lower Oliver Plunkett Street to Terence McSweeney Quay)

Closed to traffic from 10:30 to 16:00

• Parnell Bridge Southbound
• Anglesea St. West Lane (filter lane from Union Quay/Parnell Bridge)

Closed to traffic from 11:15 to 15:00

• Terence McSweeney Quay

Closed to traffic from 11:15 to 17:30

• Parnell Bridge
• Parnell Place
• South Mall
• Grand Parade
• St Patrick’s Bridge
• Castle St.
• Cornmarket Street
• St. Paul’s Avenue
• Merchants Quay
• Lavitt’s Quay East (Christy Ring Bridge to Saint Patrick’s Bridge)

Note:

• Lane restrictions will also be in place from 11:00 on both Clontarf Bridge & Eglinton St., to restrict access onto Terence McSwiney Quay
• Douglas Street will operate on a one-way system only from 11.15 to 17:30, with the Northern Lane (inbound towards the City Centre) closed at the junction of Summerhill South.

Roads will open when safe to allow access, which could be in advance of advertised time

Traffic Diversions

• South Terrace/George’s Quay – traffic will be diverted via Sullivan’s Quay & Frenche’s Quay to either Greenmount or onto Washington Street and Bachelor’s Quay.
• Lavitt’s Quay – traffic will be diverted across Christy Ring Bridge
• Lapps Quay – no public traffic access