He may be the patron saint of Ireland - and the man responsible for ridding the country of snakes - but even St. Patrick needs some wheels to get around Dublin over the weekend that bears his name. With this year's St. Patrick's Festival activities centring on Dublin's status as the City of Science 2012 the all-electric Nissan LEAF was seen as the perfect means of transport for Ireland's favourite son.
The 2012 Festival has been 18 months in the planning and kicks off today (March 16) with a Céilí at St. Stephen's Green followed by the traditional parade that will feature Ireland's leading pageant companies who have animated a selection of science related questions posed by children, such as 'How is a rainbow formed?', 'What makes the weather change?' and 'How is electricity made?' As official car of the celebrations six Nissan LEAFs will join in the parade, providing an eco-friendly aspect.
Speaking about the partnership, Nissan Ireland's Marketing Director, Paul O'Sullivan, said, "We are delighted that the Nissan LEAF will be the official car sponsor for this year's St. Patrick's Festival. The Nissan LEAF's green credentials are a great fit for the event and we are very proud to be providing the cars for the Festival Parade."
This year the Festival will also introduce a new cultural initiative entitled 'I Love My City', which will see nine headline events over two days (Friday 16th and Saturday 17th March) as part of the Festival in venues and spaces in the Georgian Quarter - stretching from Merrion Square to Kildare Street. All headline events are free to attend, however spaces for some events are limited so register early on www.stpatricksfestival.ie and reserve your place to avoid disappointment.