St. Patrick's Day in Dublin

Ireland's Capital Celebrates St. Paddy

Feb 13, 2009 Tina Costanza

It may be strange to hear an Irish person say March 17 is a bigger deal outside Ireland, but that doesn't mean the nation still can't throw a St. Patrick's Day party.

Traditionally in Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day was a religious holiday, spent going to mass and visiting relatives. The same holds true today in some communities, but if travellers head into Dublin’s city centre, celebrations to honour the saint that reputedly drove snakes off the island are obvious.

What to Wear on St. Patrick’s Day

Revellers should dress warmly while out and about on St. Patrick’s Day, as more often than not, March is on the cool side in Dublin. (Carrying an umbrella may prove to be a good idea, as well). To help visitors show off their celebratory spirit with flags, hats, scarves and pins featuring the Irish symbols of shamrocks, leprechauns and harps, they can head to any shop catering to tourists. It may be worthy to note that some of these shops may be closed on March 17, so shopping a day or two earlier may be the way to go.

What to Do on St. Patrick’s Day

The party begins with the St. Patrick’s Festival, which runs in 2009 from March 12 to 17. Events such as music, movies, comedy, a treasure hunt and more pack the days leading up to the St. Patrick’s Festival Parade. The parade begins at noon at Parnell Square on March 17, weaving its way through the city centre for more than two hours in a myriad of ceremonial groups, threatre companies and marching bands from around the world.

Once the parade floats have gone by, visitors may want to consider a visit to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, on Saint Patrick’s Close. The story says that St. Patrick passed through Dublin on his journey through the Emerald Isle. A plaque on the cathedral grounds marks the former well where Patrick is reputed to have baptized converts from paganism to Christianity. To commemorate his visit, a small wooden church had been built on the site. Now, it’s a much more grand structure.

Traditional Irish music can be heard in a variety of pubs, with some establishments featuring weekly acts.

What to Eat on St. Patrick’s Day

A traditional Irish meal is one way to cap off St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, and Dublin city centre is certainly not lacking in establishments that serve up such dishes. Visitors may want to head to the Temple Bar area, which is also in the city centre, to find cobbled streets and plenty of pubs and restaurants to choose from. Some do indeed offer traditional Irish meals.

Traditional Irish dishes that may be found on menus include colcannon, made of potato, cabbage or curly kale; champ, which is mashed potatoes mixed with spring onions; Irish stew, which includes vegetables and lamb; boxty, a type of potato pancake that can be made with various fillings such as beef and chicken; and coddle, which consists of boiled pork sausages. Bread often accompanies meals, and traditional Irish bread includes soda bread, wheaten bread and soda farls.

What to Drink on St. Patrick’s Day

Thirsty types can raise a glass to St. Patrick with various Irish beverages. Beer and stout include the brands Harp, Beamish, Smithwicks, Murphy’s and Guinness; while Irish whiskey, Baileys Irish Cream and Irish coffee round off the drinks list.

With a little bit of planning, a St. Patrick’s Day celebration can be as all-out or low-key as anyone desires. No matter how extravagant the celebration is, however, embracing the Irish spirit of good times spent with loved ones is often all that will be required for a memorable day.

The copyright of the article St. Patrick's Day in Dublin in U.K./Ireland Travel is owned by Tina Costanza. Permission to republish St. Patrick's Day in Dublin in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

One of many pubs in Dublin's Temple Bar area.

The St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland.