Off Out 16th March 2023 by Lorna Gilligan

Here’s What’s Happening in Ireland This St Patrick’s Day Weekend

via Pexels/Rodnae Production

Are we all ready to take in the parades and fanfare that comes with St Patrick’s Day? Or are you wanting to spend the green holiday doing something a little more lowkey.

We’ve searched high and low across the country for every event on over St Patrick’s Day weekend so you don’t have to.

We’ve got everything from city parades to full on St Patrick’s festival lasting the entire weekend, and Irish coffee shops to little farms.

The bank holiday weekend is the perfect time to meet up with friends and family and go do something fun that you wouldn’t normally take part in together.

So without further ado here is our round up of the top things to do around Ireland this St Patrick’s weekend.

St Patrick’s Day Parades

The parades are back. The parades are back. The parades are back in town!

Finally, after so long our local and city parades are making a comeback this year for St Patrick’s Day.

Many towns across Ireland have their own parade route including Letterkenny, Mullingar, Tullamore, Killarney, Bray, Drogheda, Balbriggan and Skerries to name a few. There are also some show stopping parades in Ireland’s main cities of Galway, Cork, Limerick, but the main parade will be Dublin – the incredible event fans from all over the world tune in to watch.

To make things extra special for this years parade, St. Patrick’s Festival and Tourism Ireland are thrilled to announce actor and director Patrick Duffy as International Guest of Honour at the national St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Friday March 17.

Born in Townsend, Montana in 1949, Patrick got his big break in ‘Man From Atlantis’ before achieving global success playing Bobby Ewing in the much-loved CBS prime time American soap opera ‘Dallas’.

Patrick will appear in the national St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin on March 17th. The Parade commences at 12 midday and runs from Parnell Square to Cuffe St/Kevin St junction, for approximately two hours.

For those who cannot attend in person, the Parade will be broadcast on RTÉ One and can be watched across the world on the RTÉ Player.

Irish Food and Drink Festival

Why not take a trip down to the Me Auld’ Flower food and drink festival at the Dublin Flower Market where locals and tourists alike can learn and discover some of Ireland’s best talent making waves in national and international waters.

A modern take on Irish food & drink culture, Me Auld Flower showcases a curated selection of Irish and visiting restaurants and chefs, growers, producers, distillers, brewers and makers, where everyone brings their best to genuinely celebrate the Irish food & drink scene as it is now.

Listen and learn from some of Ireland’s finest and some of our diaspora of chefs and cooks making a name for themselves abroad, through demos, classes, tastings, signature dishes and workshops on the Bastecamp and Brewcamp stages and get stuck in with a host of live acts and DJs.

EPIC The Irish Immigration Museum

Head on down to the Irish Immigration Museum where they’re challenging people to see beyond the plastic this St. Patrick’s Day. In a visually striking new campaign, EPIC have curated a selection of images which contrast modern-day St. Patrick’s Day accessories with historical images of Irish people.

The campaign isn’t about raining on anyone’s parade, but encouraging visitors and locals alike to dig a little bit deeper and discover what it truly means to be Irish, and how that meaning is forever tied to the people who have left these shores.

Visit a St Patrick Heritage Site

We’re all about the heritage here at STELLAR HQ so taking a little trip to some national heritage sites around Ireland that incorporate and tell the story of St Patrick is always a good idea.

You could head on down to the Rock of Cashel, the stunning limestone building in the Golden Vale surrounded on either side with  an impressive collection of medieval buildings where St Patrick converted the powerful King of Munster, Aonghus.

You can also take in St Patrick’s Well while you’re in Tipperary, it’s a stunning holy site just west of Clonmel that’s definitely worth a trip to see.

Another holy site that can be taken in for the day that’s in it is Croagh Patrick in Co.Mayo, the magical mountain that rises 765m above see level that St Patrick historically made a pilgrimage in 441AD

You can also stay within Dublin City and visit the beautiful 13th Century church, St Patrick’s Cathedral. St Patrick himself baptised Christian converts here over 1500 years ago.

Nore Valley: St Patrick’s Day Snake Hunt

 

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Head on down to the Nore Valley for a fun family day out on a full working farm with a whole host of extra fun activities on offer to keep the entire family entertained. Especially for St Patrick’s Day you can help finish what the saint himself started and hunt some snakes down during the annual snake hunt on March 17. It is included as a free extra event on your normal admission.

Kilkenny Trad Fest

Over the bank holiday weekend, Kilkenny holds its annual Trad Fest as part of the St Patrick’s Day festivities. You’ll get the chance to experience the best of traditional music, song and dance as well as a host of music and dance workshops and lots of activities perfect for the family. It is known to rival the festivities in Dublin!

Seachtain na Gaeilge

Tullamore hosts an annual festival every year known as Seachtain na Gaeilge, celebrating all thing Irish including music, dance and food, as well as the language itself. It occurs alongside the parade on St Patrick’s Day and you can expect to enjoy a wide variety of talented bands and musicians.

Everybody takes part in the week all about celebrating Irish culture and heritage including schools, dance troupes, sports, culture, animal welfare, heritage and local businesses to name just a few. It’s tradition for participants to compete for a prize so expect everyone to go all out, if you think it’s too much then it’s definitely not enough!

 

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