Saint Patrick’s day is without a doubt one of the most special and patriotic days in Ireland. It has gone from a day of celebration to a 5-day festival with something for everyone. We are a proud people and the rest of the world must agree as ours is the most celebrated national festival in the whole world. We have put together the highlights of the St Patrick’s Day festival but there is so much more to experience by just being here.
St Patrick’s Day Parade
First and foremost, the highlight of the whole festival has to be the spectacular parade that commences at Parnell Square and proceeds through the city in a flair of colour and creativity. Dublin’s parade is the largest in Ireland and has a varied and exciting new theme every year. Crowds of people come from all over Ireland and the rest of the world. The best of Ireland’s creatives come together, accompanied by bands from around the globe. The parade is free for so we always recommend getting there early to get a good spot.
Dublin City At Play
Something for the younger ones now or just those who are young at heart. Dublin will be home to two funfairs, one on either side of our fair city. The funfairs have all of the classics like the waltzers and the carousel to more family-friendly options so there is something for everyone. The fair opens from 11am until late so you can make the most of the bright evenings. The fair locations are Merrion Square in on the south side of the Liffey and Custom House Quay on the north side.
Big Day Out
From 12-6pm on Sunday, 18th March, Merrion Square comes alive with a vibrant and bustling street carnival. The Big Day Out features everything from aerial displays to face painting. Most importantly they have Irish language, dance and music interactive workshops, reminding us why everybody loves the Irish.
Greening The City
Dublin joins many cities around the world to light up some of our biggest and most well-known landmarks green for the Saint Patrick’s Day Festival. We are being joined by cities as far away as Sydney and Shanghai. Many famous buildings and sites are being illuminated in green for our national day, even the pyramids of Egypt. An amazing total of 267 cities participated last year!
‘Where We Live’
Discover what it’s like to live in Dublin and Ireland today with this stunning photographic and video display in Smithfield from 7-18th March. A mixture of live art and exhibition, ‘Where We Live’ centres around the theme of home. It tells hilarious, joyous and often harrowing stories about our city, what it is and what it should be.
For a great value hotel with a free shuttle bus directly to the city, choose Aspect Hotel Park West for your St. Patrick’s Day Festival Dublin stay. Check our special offers page for the best rates and packages not available on any other website.
