American actor & director Patrick Duffy announced as International Guest of Honour
St. Patrick’s Festival and Tourism Ireland are thrilled to announce actor and director Patrick Duffy as International Guest of Honour at the national St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Friday March 17th.
Patrick, whose grandfather emigrated from Ireland to America in the 1920s, most recently visited Ireland in the summer of 2022, with his partner Linda Purl, to trace his own Irish roots in Kilmovee, Co. Mayo. Fittingly, Patrick was born on the global day of Irish celebration on March 17th, and throughout his life he has always maintained a deep pride and interest in his Irish heritage. Patrick makes the trip to Ireland along with tens of thousands of international visitors from Ireland’s global diaspora of over 80 million, seeking to connect with their roots, to sample contemporary and traditional Irish arts and culture, and to enjoy one of the world’s truly unique experiences on the streets of Dublin.
Born in Townsend, Montana in 1949, the son of tavern owners Marie and Terence Duffy, Patrick got his big break in ‘Man From Atlantis’ before achieving global success playing Bobby Ewing in the much-loved CBS prime time American soap opera ‘Dallas’.
Speaking of his role as International Guest of Honour, Patrick Duffy said: “Nothing gives me more pride than being asked to be guest of honour at this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin. I can feel my grandfather’s joy in my returning to his homeland to represent the Duffy’s and express our gratitude for all this great country has given us. I feel like I am returning home and want to meet my extended family.”
Patrick will appear in the national St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin on March 17th. The Parade commences at 12 midday and runs from Parnell Square to Cuffe St/Kevin St junction, for approximately two hours. With over 4,000 participants and an expected 500,000 people lining the streets, this year’s Parade promises to be the biggest, most spectacular parade ever produced on the streets of Dublin. For those who cannot attend in person, the Parade will be broadcast on RTÉ One and can be watched across the world on the RTÉ Player.
Richard Tierney, CEO at St. Patrick’s Festival said: “We are so delighted to welcome Patrick Duffy to Ireland and to our national St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Patrick is a bona fide legend of the screen and holds a special place in the hearts of so many Irish households, so it’s a real pleasure to be able to bring him centre stage for the Festival and the Parade. He is one of the many sons and daughters of Irish descent who will be making the pilgrimage home to Ireland this coming March, and we can’t wait to give him the welcome that he so richly deserves.”
Niall Gibbons, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “Tourism Ireland is delighted to welcome Patrick Duffy to Dublin and Ireland, as International Guest of Honour for this year’s St Patrick’s Day Parade. As we continue our journey to rebuild overseas tourism to Ireland this year, our aim on St Patrick’s Day is to capitalise on the heightened exposure for Ireland. The parade and the festival will be seen by millions of people around the world, helping to inspire them to put Ireland on their holiday ‘wish-list’ for 2023.”
Orla Carroll, Director of Product Development at Fáilte Ireland said: “St. Patrick’s Festival returns to Dublin this year, with an amazing line-up of celebrations planned across 4 days in the city centre. The world-renowned St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be bigger and better than ever this year, encouraging hundreds of thousands of people to come to the city and enjoy the festivities. The Festival will bring unforgettable experiences to life for visitors and showcase Ireland as a fantastic tourist destination to people around the world.”
The National St. Patrick’s Festival, Dublin runs from March 16 to 19, 2023 and is made possible by the generous support of Principal Funders: the Government of Ireland, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Fáilte Ireland and Dublin City Council. St. Patrick’s Festival 2023 is supported by many organisations, civic and commercial partners and funders including Kia Ireland, Disney, Dublin Airport, National Museum of Ireland, Bulmers, Irish Ferries, Waterways Ireland, The Arts Council of Ireland, GOAL, the Welsh Government in Ireland, French Embassy in Dublin, the Gaeltacht under the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030, RTÉ, The Irish Independent, FM104, Irish Central and many more.
For further information please contact THE HIVE AGENCY:
Jodie Delany: jodie@thehiveagency.ie | 0871253373
Nigel Goggin: nigel@thehiveagency.ie | 0876041161
About Patrick Duffy:
Born in 1949, Patrick was raised in a small town of 600 people in Montana. He moved to Seattle to study in the Professional Actors Training Program at the University of Washington, before going on to work on stage and screen in New York and then Los Angeles.
Patrick Duffy’s tremendous worldwide audience appeal has been gained through three highly successful series. Starting with ‘Man From Atlantis’, through his thirteen years starring as Bobby Ewing on “Dallas” (including the unprecedented ‘dream season’ which he is brought back from the dead in the famous shower scene), and in seven seasons of the popular half-hour sit-com “Step by Step”, Patrick has consistently been an audience favourite.
Since beginning his TV career, Patrick has starred in well over a dozen movies for television and countless specials. While on “Dallas” he began his directing career, directing 30 episodes of “Dallas” and 49 episodes of “Step By Step”.
About St. Patrick’s Festival:
Established in 1996, St. Patrick’s Festival has grown from a single-day to a four-day event featuring music, performance, spectacle, dance, theatre, literature, visual arts, food, wellness, community activations and much more. It is recognised globally as one of the world’s biggest festivals, with a global reach of over 700 million people in 2022. The Festival is a key driver for the Tourism industry, presenting a world class event that showcases the very best of Irishness and Ireland as a destination, platforming our incredible unique culture, heritage and traditions to a global audience through quality experiences.
St. Patrick's Festival continues to be a key driver of employment and opportunity for the creative sector, providing nearly 12,000 days of employment in 2022. The 2023 Festival will continue to provide these opportunities, driving employment through direct investment in these vital industries that uplift Ireland across the world. The Festival team is made up of many of Ireland’s most experienced professional artists, arts workers, creatives and live events workers, in support of a small core team who work throughout the year planning the St. Patrick’s Festival and Parade. Year on year, St. Patrick’s Festival employs thousands of Irish artists, arts workers, arts organisations, live events workers, community workers and volunteers. St. Patrick’s Festival is an independent not-for-profit organisation with charity status, governed by a Board of Directors under the patronage of the President of Ireland.
