Joanne O'Riordan named as Dublin Patrick's Day parade Grand Marshal
Disability campaigner Joanne O'Riordan has been selected by St Patrick's Festival to lead this year's parade in Dublin.
The 19-year-old from Millstreet in Co Cork become Dublin’s youngest ever Grand Marshal.
“Even when I got asked, I actually thought it was a prank call and I was like: ‘Naw, they’re definitely going to have someone else now, it 100% won’t be me’,” she said.
“But no, it’s me thank God, and yeah, I’m absolutely over the moon, I’m thrilled.
“I represented Ireland on a global and international scale – not just people of Ireland, I represented the people with disabilities in Ireland and put forward the ideology of ‘it’s the ability, not the disability of a person is what matters’.”
She is thought to be one of only seven currently living people born with Tetra-amelia Syndrome.
Ms O'Riordan first came to national prominence after a public confrontation with Taoiseach Enda Kenny over cuts to disability funding.
The UCC student also gained international recognition when she addressed the United Nations last year - challenging them to build her a robot to help access technology.
She was named Young Person of the Year at the 2012 People of the Year Awards.
