On Saturday, September 27th, at 1 pm, the Ireland Against Racism Carnival gathered at Dublin’s Garden of Remembrance before moving to the Custom House. Despite the dreary downpour from earlier in the morning, the atmosphere was excitable and encouraging. Signs, banners, flags and fliers were handed out to anyone who wanted to follow along. To lead the group on their walk was a small but well-formed Samba band that kept the energy high. Three women in traditional Carnival dress followed behind, dancing. Each kept time as stewards and Gardaí formed along the route.
The event combined a march and a rally, intended to raise a united voice against racism and the far right. Organisers, United Against Racism and LeChéile, framed the day as an “anti-racist, multicultural community carnival” as opposed to a protest, while participants converged from all along O’Connell Street and its neighbours to walk the city centre route.
Being guided, participants marched beyond the spire, collecting smiles and cheers, and the odd car horn. Attendance appeared to be hundreds, at some points even the low thousands. Ranging from toddlers to grandparents and quite a few dogs that barked in excitement while their owner(s) joined the festivities. Gardaí were visible at junctions, controlling traffic and road closures, and no large incidents were observed.
Small details grounded the afternoon: a young girl on her father’s shoulders holding a Palestine flag, later seen running through puddles while the music persisted. The Grandmothers and Grandfathers Against Racism groups came together as colourfully dressed participants unfurled a small rainbow play-parachute, lifting it so children could run underneath.
At the Custom House, clusters formed for speeches and live music. Many attendees stayed on, queuing for face paint and henna as the afternoon unfolded.
In the end, it was a public, orderly assertion that Dublin’s streets belong to an anti-racist majority as much as to commuters and tourists. The framing of carnival over protest mattered, inviting families, elders, migrants and allies to occupy the same space with music, colour and clear intent. The route linked to the government, from the Garden of Remembrance to the Custom House, and asked what kind of welcome Ireland extends now.
