A parade will take place today at noon in Dublin to mark National Services Day and celebrate frontline workers.

The parade will begin at noon at the Garden of Remembrance and will finish at Dublin Castle, followed by a gathering at the castle. 

People are being invited to meet the crews of the emergency services with vehicles and equipment on display. 

HSE Ambulance Service Manager Ger O’Dea said the day allows the public to learn about rescue services “in a relaxed setting”. 

“To be able to see their equipment, their vehicles, ask them what it is that they actually do,” he said. 

“Just get a nice idea as to what all these people who are always waiting in the background for somebody’s emergency call, what they do for [the public].” 

This Saturday 2nd September we're taking part in the #NationalServicesDay parade starting at 1200 on O'Connell Street.

Following the parade we'll be at @dublincastleopw from 1.30pm till 4pm. Free family fun day @NatServicesDay --> https://t.co/7F73rH60te pic.twitter.com/gXi3mXcnXB

— Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) September 1, 2023

Services involved include An Garda Síochána, Irish Coast Guard and Retained Firefighters. 

Mr O’Dea said, along with the services people see every day, they can also thank more obscure emergency services. 

“You also have a multitude of rescue services that people rarely hear about,” he said.  

“Search and rescue dogs, mountain rescue teams and river rescue [etc].” 

There are events planned across the country to mark National Services Day. 

A parade will also take place in Kilkenny City at 2pm, followed by an Emergency Services Display until 6pm. 

There will also be parades in Limerick City, Kildare, Louth, and Wexford.