Ronnie Drew will lead the St Patrick’s Festival parade in Dublin this year as Grand Marshal.
He was given the honour by the Chair of the Festival, Mary Davis, in recognition and appreciation of his unique contribution to Dublin and Irish culture.
Drew's voice and deadpan humour have endeared him to audiences of all ages.
Since forming 'The Dubliners' in 1962 to his recent duet at the Meteor Awards with Shane McGowan, Ronnie Drew has sung his way into the hearts of many generations.
Drew is delighted with the honour. ''This is a great day for all the family. I’ll be joined by my children and grandchildren on the parade route. See you there."
Close to 700,000 people are expected to attend this year’s parade and the worldwide television audience is likely to be over 7 million.
More than 3,000 participants will take part in the parade, which has been created in response to the theme of Wishful Thinking.
Starting on Dublin’s northside, the parade leaves Parnell Square North at 12 noon before running down O’Connell Street and ending at St Patrick’s Cathedral.
Previous grand marshalls have included the heads of four of Ireland’s international aid agencies - Concern, GOAL, Irish Red Cross and Trócaire (2005), Miss World Rosanna Davison (2004), Samantha Mumba (2003) and Mick McCarthy in 2002.
The five-day, five-night festival runs from 15 - 19 March.
