To: The Board of the National St. Patrick's Festival
Make Macklemore Grand Marshal of Dublin's St. Patrick's Day Parade 2027
Make Macklemore Grand Marshal of Dublin's 2027 St. Patrick's Day Parade
Why is this important?
We call on the Board of the National St. Patrick's Festival to name musician Ben Haggerty — known worldwide as Macklemore — as Grand Marshal of the 2027 St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin.
Macklemore has spoken proudly and publicly about his Irish heritage, connecting his family's story to the broader story of the Irish diaspora. He has used his platform not just to celebrate that identity, but to live out values many in Ireland hold dear: solidarity with the oppressed and a willingness to speak plainly about injustice, even when it's unpopular.
Since October 2023, Macklemore has been one of the most visible artists in the world willing to speak out on the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
He released "Hind's Hall," donated proceeds to humanitarian relief, and has consistently used interviews and performances to draw attention to the human cost of the conflict — actions that cost him commercially and professionally at points in his career.
Ireland has a long history of solidarity with Palestine, rooted in its own experience of colonisation and partition. Naming Macklemore as Grand Marshal would be a fitting way to honour an artist whose Irish-American identity and moral courage reflect values central to Irish identity itself: standing with the powerless against the powerful.
We ask the Board to recognise this by naming Macklemore Grand Marshal of the 2027 Dublin St. Patrick's Day Parade.
Macklemore has spoken proudly and publicly about his Irish heritage, connecting his family's story to the broader story of the Irish diaspora. He has used his platform not just to celebrate that identity, but to live out values many in Ireland hold dear: solidarity with the oppressed and a willingness to speak plainly about injustice, even when it's unpopular.
Since October 2023, Macklemore has been one of the most visible artists in the world willing to speak out on the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
He released "Hind's Hall," donated proceeds to humanitarian relief, and has consistently used interviews and performances to draw attention to the human cost of the conflict — actions that cost him commercially and professionally at points in his career.
Ireland has a long history of solidarity with Palestine, rooted in its own experience of colonisation and partition. Naming Macklemore as Grand Marshal would be a fitting way to honour an artist whose Irish-American identity and moral courage reflect values central to Irish identity itself: standing with the powerless against the powerful.
We ask the Board to recognise this by naming Macklemore Grand Marshal of the 2027 Dublin St. Patrick's Day Parade.