Disney are thrilled to be part of the Dublin St Patrick’s Day Parade as we celebrate Disney100. ​

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Walt Disney was an American but did you know he had deep Irish roots? Walt’s great-grandfather, Arundel Elias Disney, emigrated from Ireland to North America with his family in 1834.  His Irish-born son, Kepple, married another Irish-born immigrant, Mary Richardson, and their eldest son Elias would become Walt’s father. ​

 Walt passed his deep love of Ireland onto his nephew, Roy Disney.  Roy chose to make his home in Ireland for part of each year until his death in 2009, where he regularly participated in (and often won) the famous sailing competition, Cork Week. ​

 ​As The Walt Disney Company commemorates our 100th anniversary in 2023, we are joining the Parade to celebrate the generations of fans and families in Ireland who’ve welcomed Disney into their hearts, as well as the brilliant storytellers behind the magic.  ​

Disney100 is a celebration of timeless storytelling and unforgettable characters that have entertained and inspired people of all ages for a century and we are so very happy to join you in celebrating St Patrick’s Day with some of our beloved characters, accompanied by Showstoppers Dance company.

Showstoppers Stageschool was opened in 2006 by Elaine Hearty. Elaine is an actress, singer, voiceover artist, songwriter and filmmaker. At that time, Elaine had been teaching drama in Our Lady's School Templeogue and was approached many times by parents and teachers to open up a school. Now years on, she is delighted to keep up the connection with the school.