As the spring season creeps closer, every country has their own festival or holiday to celebrate the arrival of better weather. These holidays are almost always worth traveling for, whether you want to see the ornate masks of Carnival in Venice or the sea of green in Ireland for St Patrick’s Day. If you’re planning a trip to Ireland for St Patrick’s Day, there’s still time to book . In Dublin, the holiday is expanded to include 5 days of parades, concerts, crafts for kids, traditional music, films, and more.
Every March 17 all eyes turn to the Irish. In New York City, the Irish diaspora takes the streets of Manhattan for one of the biggest parades of the year. Chicago dyes its river green, while Savannah is full of celebrating visitors walking through the streets with green beer in hand. If you’ve never celebrated St Patrick’s Day in Europe, this holiday can be a fun reason to plan a last minute trip in mid-March. All European cities have a cluster of Irish bars where St Patrick’s Day celebrations will take over, so whether you’re in , Rome, Paris, or Barcelona you can join in the festivities.
Some travelers will have their sighst set on Dublin – the capital of Ireland – the core of the festivities – for a last minute trip. The St Patrick’s Festival begins on March 16th and has events planned all the way through March 20th. The big shebang takes place on St Patrick’s Day itself – when a large parade of musicians, floats, marching bands, and more will file through the streets of Dublin City Centre. Pubs will be open at midday; don’t be surprised when you walk in if every single person is holding a pint of Dublin’s famous brew – Guinness.
Other activities during the St Patrick’s Festival include comedy shows, historic walking tours, traditional music concerts, and crafts for kids. Check out the calendar of events to pick out a few that appeal to you. Visitors to Dublin will also need some gear to celebrate. The Irish flag is three stripes: green, white, and orange. Some foreigners think that wearing orange will be popular – but in fact everyone will be wearing green. The green part of the flag represents the Republic of Ireland, and every local will be covered in green. Once you arrive, there are many stores in the center of the city where you can stock up on scarves and funny hats. If you’re the type of person that loves costumes – prepare to be amazed. It’s incredible how creative people can be using only one single color.
Knowing where to find the best pints of Guinness is another essential part of celebrating St Patrick’s Day in Dublin. While every Dubliner has their own favorite ‘local’, some pubs are simply known for better pints than others. O’Donoghue’s () has a spacious back garden and is known for music while literary buffs might want to have a pint at Davy Byrne’s(). For a classier, quiet pint of Guinness head to the Shelbourne Hotel () where you can watch all of Dublin walk by along St Stephen’s Green outside.
Slainte!
Photo Credit: All photos from the personal collection of .
NOTE: This post is sponsored by Octopus Travel; the opinions expressed are those of the author.
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