Boycott of all US St Patrick’s Day parades called for by Wicklow councillor
The Wicklow PeopleA west Wicklow councillor has called on his council colleagues to boycott St Patrick’s Day parades taking place in the US this year.
His opposition to US travel comes, he says, in solidarity with Irish citizens who have been deported by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, arguing that official participation validates an administration that has acted against Irish nationals.
This is not the first time that Cllr O’Neill has raised concerns surrounding the current US administration, with the Blessington native also seeking a total boycott of US St Patrick's Day events last year.
Then, he cited the US administration's stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict as a primary reason, aligning with a broader movement in Ireland to "stand on the side of humanity" and protest what he described as injustices in Gaza.
Cllr O’Neill also frequently describes foreign travel by councillors as a "complete waste of public money", pointing to the US parade in Omaha in Nebraska he attended with his own money as grand marshal in 2019, and events in O'Neill City in the same state on two other occasions.
In 2023, he challenged the use of Local Property Tax funds to pay for trips abroad, arguing that the public sees no tangible benefit at a local level.
Proposing a motion at the January meeting of Wicklow County Council, Cllr O’Neill said he thought a boycott of US events would be an “an ideal way of telling Trump and his bully boys and the world that we don't approve of him”.
"We can make a stance in a small but important way,” he said. “I think that is far more important, to lay down a marker on this than spending the day going around the streets of Washington or New York with chains hanging out of us and spending people's money.”
Speaking again during the latest monthly meeting of Wicklow County Council, Cllr O’Neill said the county must take a stand on the issue.
"The amount of Irish people that are being deported and the amount of Irish people who are being detained there over the last 12 months is huge through the Trump administration. I thought it would be an idea if we just ignored this trip, the annual trip to America.”
In response to a query from Cllr O’Neill, chief executive Emer O’Gorman indicated that two councillors will be travelling abroad this year.
“In relation to St Patrick's Day or any other visits to the US by elected members of this council, it's generally by way of invitation. So, there's a twinning arrangement between Bray Municipal District and Dublin, California - and an invitation is issued by the members of the Dublin, California Council to Bray Municipal District.”
“In relation to New York, an invitation comes from the Wicklow Association, who look after the participation in the St Patrick's Day parade.”
She added: “My only comment would be that in a time of great difficulty for the diaspora living abroad it is important that we support our Irish American colleagues and people of the Wicklow Association and those in Dublin, California that have such strong links to Ireland.”
These sentiments were echoed by Cathaoirleach Melanie Corrigan.
“I accept there are challenges in the US, but I feel it's more important than ever this year we show our support to our diaspora. I have been invited by the Wicklow Association, and we need to keep our channels of communication open with them, show our support with them, and I feel very strongly about that. That is why I have accepted.”
While Cllr O'Neill frequently brings motions against these trips forward, they are often outvoted by the council majority, who maintain that international "twinning" relationships—such as the one between Bray and Dublin, California—require in-person representation.
As Leas Cathaoirleach of Bray Municipal District, Cllr Caroline Winstanley will make that trip this year. The US city which has a population of 72,932 has been twinned with Bray since the mid-1980’s.
The connection began after Dublin, California, was denied a pairing with Dublin, Ireland, by Sister Cities International, which preferred to match "little, tiny cities" with smaller partners like Bray.
While informal ties began as early as 1985, the official relationship was solidified in the late 1990s to create a globally connected community.
This partnership was reaffirmed in March 2023. The reaffirmation involved business meetings at Bray Town Hall to explore future collaborations in tourism, enterprise, culture, and education.
Recorded instances of official county council delegations to the New York parade began as early as 2010. Similar delegations were noted in 2012, 2023, and most recently in 2025.
These visits are typically used to promote Wicklow as a destination for US investment and tourism through meetings with the IDA and Tourism Ireland.
While the council chair's attendance is more recent, a Wicklow banner commissioned by the Co. Wicklowmen’s Association has been held high in the New York parade since the early 1960s.
Though not heading stateside, Simon Harris is the only Wicklow representative in Leinster House scheduled to travel abroad for St Patrick’s Day as part of the Irish Government's international outreach programme. The Tánaiste and Finance Minister is travelling to Paris, France and London, United Kingdom.