Video – 500 drones help Ireland celebrate St Patrick’s Day

A film featuring a swarm of 500 drones animating Dublin’s skies has been released by Tourism Ireland to wish the world a happy St Patrick’s Day.

The film Orchestra of Light features the Intel Drone Light Show and was pre-recorded in Dublin in early March.

Each drone weighs 340 grams and is purpose-built for use in drone light shows, featuring a lightweight, soft-plastic construction and encased propellers.

About 690 attractions and sites in 66 countries lit up to mark St Patrick’s Day as part of Tourism Ireland’s annual Global Greening, the Sydney Opera House and Auckland’s Sky Tower among them.

Orchestra of Light tells a story of Ireland’s global influence, and how a small island on the edge of Europe has spread its culture and traditions across the world.

It was created by St Patrick’s Festival, Tourism Ireland and Dublin City Council and is part of Dublin’s St Patrick’s Festival, which has gone online www.stpatricksfestival.ie for 2021 because of COVID-19 restrictions for the second successive year.

The drones swarm into the image of a globe turning green and formations of Celtic art, before wishing the world a Happy St Patrick’s Day in an explosion of glowing shamrocks.

The short film is scored by Irish composer Eimear Noone and husband Craig Stuart Garfinkle.

Along with RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, the duo has collaborated with Irish band Picture This on the score, which features an orchestral remix of the band’s latest single, Things Are Different.