Bucket List / Experience Goals
Party On At St Patrick’s Day Celebrations
Still to do
Dublin turns green for a festival of parades, trad music and packed pubs on the most famous national day on Earth.
The adventure
On 17 March the whole of Dublin seems to be wearing green. Families line O'Connell Street hours before the parade, kids on shoulders and faces painted with shamrocks, while marching bands, giant puppets and street theatre troupes wind through the city centre. Visitors from all over the world join in, and for once everyone gets to be a little bit Irish.
When the parade ends, the party moves indoors. Pubs from Temple Bar to the quieter corners of the city fill up, the Guinness flows, and fiddles, bodhráns and tin whistles kick off sessions that run late into the night. The festival lasts several days, with céilí dances, concerts, treasure hunts and landmarks lit up in green, so there's always something happening, whatever the Irish weather throws at you.
Why it’s epic
- Dublin's St Patrick's Festival runs over several days, with the parade on 17 March itself.
- Traditional music sessions in pubs across the city, especially around Temple Bar.
- Landmarks around the world glow green, from Sydney Opera House to the Colosseum.
- Chicago has dyed its river green every year since 1962, if you want a second celebration.
What it is
St Patrick's Day is celebrated with parades and parties.
How to do it
Dublin's festival runs over several days.
Top tip
Book accommodation early.
Need to know
- Hotels in Dublin are expensive and book out early for the festival weekend.
- Arrive early for a spot along the parade route, or buy a grandstand ticket.
- Pubs are extremely busy, so the quieter suburbs and smaller towns can be more relaxed.
Plan this trip
- Rough cost
- £750 to £2,000 per person, including flights from the UK
- Time needed
- 1 to 3 days
- Best time to go
- 17 March
- Fly into
- DUB airport
Flights from the UK are short and cheap; festival-time hotel rates and pub prices make up most of the cost.
Make it happen
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Why it’s on my list
St. Patrick’s Day always occurs on March 17, in observance of the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland who died in 461AD. What began as a religious feast day in the 17th century has evolved into a variety of festivals across the globe celebrating Irish culture with parades, special foods, music, dancing, and a whole lot of green.
Saint Patrick’s Day is the national holiday that is celebrated in more countries around the world than any other.
More about Ireland: travel guide, my photos and races.
Over to you
Have you done this one? Tell me how it went, with any tips, in the comments. It's still on my list.