The spirit of St. Patrick’s Day returned to the heart of the community on Thursday evening, April 9th, as the official winners of the 2026 Bray St. Patrick’s Day Parade were honoured at a special awards ceremony held at Bray Town Hall.
The event saw a fantastic turnout, bringing together winning parade participants, their proud families and friends, the St. Patrick’s Festival Committee, Chamber Executive members, and community leaders. Following a parade that attracted record-breaking crowds and over 10,000 public votes, the ceremony served as a formal tribute to the organisations that made the 2026 celebration the most successful to date.
The awards, which were adjudicated on the day by a dedicated judging panel representing the local District, were presented to groups that demonstrated exceptional artistry, community spirit, and entertainment value.
The 2026 Winners:
- Best Overall Entry: Dancers Workshop Academy
- Most Entertaining Entry & Public Vote Winner: Studio X Dance Group (Securing a dominant 38% of the public vote)
- Special Recognition Award: Ciranda Ireland
- Best Community Entry: Bray Tidy Towns
- Best Sports Entry: Bray Emmets GAA
- Spirit Award: Scoil Rince Fáinne
Award Ceremony Photo Gallery
Photos are by Leigh Anderson
Speaking at the ceremony, Jonathan Donnelly, President of the Bray & District Chamber of Commerce, highlighted the massive collective effort that made the festival such a standout:
“Tonight is a celebration of the incredible energy that defines our town. While we are here to present trophies to our winners, I want to extend a huge thank you to every single participant who marched, performed, and brought our streets to life. The creativity on display by more than 2,500 participants from local organisations, clubs, businesses, and community groups was world-class.
An event of this scale simply doesn’t happen without a huge team effort behind the scenes. I want to give a special mention to the St. Patrick’s Festival Committee for their tireless dedication, our sponsors for their vital support, and, of course, our emergency services and volunteers who kept everyone safe on the day.
We also owe a great debt of gratitude to our service providers, event teams, and council officials for their seamless coordination. A special word for the clean teams, who worked so hard to keep Bray looking its best, and to Bird’s Euroshow Funfair and our local businesses for providing such a fantastic atmosphere for visitors.
A sincere thank you to the community who engaged with us in a way never seen before. Receiving thousands of votes is a wonderful reflection of the community spirit here in Bray. Whether you were out on the street or voting from home, you made this parade truly your own.”
Looking Toward 2027
As the 2026 trophies are hoisted, the organisers are already shifting their focus to 2027. The success of this year’s parade has provided a powerful springboard for next year’s planning.
“While we celebrate the achievements of 2026 tonight, the Chamber is already looking forward to the 2027 festival and parade,” Jonathan added. “We aim to build on this year’s record participation and public engagement to ensure that Bray continues to host one of Ireland’s premier St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.”
Bray’s St. Patrick’s Festival and Parade are proudly brought to you by Bray and District Chamber of Commerce, bray.ie and Bray Municipal District, Wicklow County Council. bray.ie is the trading name of Bray Tourism.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade Participating Groups
The St. Patrick’s Festival Committee is proud to acknowledge the essential contributions of our partners across the business, artistic, and civic sectors. A production of this scale requires immense coordination and generosity; our success is a direct reflection of the commitment shown by the local clubs and organisations involved. We are sincerely grateful for the vital role you play in upholding this tradition and ensuring a world-class parade for all to enjoy.
Your participation was vital, and we couldn’t have achieved it without your help:
- 5th Wicklow Bray Sea Scouts
- 11th Wicklow Kilmacanogue Scout Group
- 12th Wicklow Scout Group
- Ardmore Rovers Football Club
- ATC Language School
- Bears of Bray
- Bray Emmets GAA Club
- Bray Fire Service
- Bray Hockey Club
- Bray Irish Girl Guides
- Bray Lions Club
- Bray Tidy Towns
- Bray Vintage Car Club
- Ciranda Ireland
- Crumlin Community Band
- Dancers Workshop Academy
- Defence Forces Colour Party
- East Coast FM
- Fragarach Medieval Armoured Combat
- Gerry Martin and Ruby the Collie
- Grand Marshal – Dylan Kavanagh
- Greystones/Wicklow Coast Guard Unit
- Imperial Bathrooms and Floorings
- Ireland China Education College
- Jai Sua Martial Arts
- Lakers Social & Recreational Club
- Lawless Academy of Irish Dancing
- Living Life Counselling Centre Bray
- Masters Temple Martial Arts
- Scoil Rince Fáinne Irish Dancing School
- Shankill GAA
- Shauna McGauran Irish Dancing School
- Signal Arts Centre
- Southside Chinese Residents Association
- Square One Theatre Group
- St Patrick’s Loreto Primary School
- Studio X Dance Group
- Takedown Martial Arts
- The Boomerang Band
- The Daredevil Circus
- The Over the Hill Motorcycle Gang
- Wicklow Civil Defence