Which city hosted Ireland’s first Saint Patrick’s Day parade in 1903? Waterford hosted it.
The parade took place during Irish Language Week in March 1903, the same year Saint Patrick’s Day became an official public holiday in Ireland under the Bank Holiday (Ireland) Act. Waterford’s procession was held on Sunday, 15 March, before the feast day itself.
The event began at the Gaelic League premises on George’s Street and ended in the People’s Park. The Mayor and members of Waterford Corporation joined trade unions, civic groups and marching bands, including the Barrack Street Band and the Thomas Francis Meagher Band.
This can be confused with Dublin’s parade tradition, but Dublin’s first official state-sponsored Saint Patrick’s Day parade did not take place until 1931. Parades had already existed in North America since the 18th century, so Waterford’s distinction is specifically as the first in Ireland.