St. Patrick’s Festival in Ireland
Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert
“Everyone is Irish on March 17!”
One of life’s great experiences in Europe is to visit Ireland during St. Patrick’s Day. It is always on 17 March each year.
So, this week, I thought I’d tell you about 3 great adventures you should try in Ireland during the St. Patrick’s Day festivities.
So, let’s explore together and learn about these 3 great adventures—you won’t be disappointed!
Celebrating on St. Patrick’s Day
Throughout all Ireland, there are really fun parades, dancing and music—the country comes alive. It is a spectacle not to be missed. Some of the country has turned the celebration into a 5 day event, especially in Dublin.
It didn’t start out that way though—St. Patrick’s Day originally was only a religious feast day, celebrating the missionary who brought Christianity to the Emerald Isle. Patrick is the Patron Saint of Ireland and this festival celebrates his death in the fifth-century.
Paddy’s Day as it is called in Ireland, has evolved more into a secular event but in Ireland it really is more a day that is celebrated with the whole family and is a way to showcase Irish culture.
There is some heavy drinking in some places, especially the Temple bar area of Dublin, full of tourists, but the parades are family friendly, and if you pick the right place, you can actually meet some locals like we were able to do in Dublin in a great pub during the festivals 5 days.
Adventure One—See a St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Ireland
One of the great festivals of all time is to get to see, or better yet, march in a St. Patrick’s Day parade in Ireland. The largest parade is in Dublin and covers 2 miles. Almost every town has a parade, especially the larger ones, the color of the day is green and families gather together for a few drinks together and probably a family meal.
There are shamrocks displayed everywhere. According to the legend, St. Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Ghost) by using the 3 pedals of the Shamrock as his visual aid.
There are parades throughout the country which are as equally festive and fun.
We got the chance in Silgo to march in one with a group of travel advisors on a tour of Ireland in 2010. Here are some photos of the locals getting ready for the parade:
A bag pipe band getting ready for the parade
Irish school kids formed up to march in the parade
A rescue Golden Retriever rescue dog plays with the handler before the parade
Our group theme was to dress as a Disney character. Here are the photos of our group and some others in the parade:
Our Travel Agent Group
Cruella de Vil and a Dalmatian—characters from the Disney 101 Dalmatians film
Alice and the Mad Hatter from the Disney film Alice in Wonderland
Captain Jack Sparrow and mate from the Disney film Pirates of the Caribbean
Anne (dressed as Jessie—she made her costume) & Hank (dressed as Buz LightYear) just prior to marching in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Sligo Ireland 2010.
Buzz LightYear (Hank) and Jesse (Anne) from Disney film Toy Story
What smart Irish parade marchers do right after the finish of the St Patrick Day’s Parade–they have a pint or two! Sligo Ireland
These 5 Leprechauns having a pint—they found their own pot of gold!
Adventure 2—Visit a Pub when Ireland is Hosting a Rugby Match during the Six Nations Tournament
We were lucky one year to be in Dublin during the Six Nations Rugby Tournament. It just so happened that Ireland was hosting Scotland in 2010.
The 6 Nations Matches usually end right around March 17, so there is excitement of possibly being the winning side for Ireland as the overall Trophy winner, or perhaps the Triple Crown winner (best results of Scotland, Ireland, England, and Wales) and maybe just a solid win in their last match.
Here is a picture of the Aviva Stadium in Dublin where the matches are played when Ireland hosts one of the other sides:
Aviva Stadium in Dublin
So on 20 March 2010, what a surprise—Anne and Hank found a great pub—full of locals to enjoy Dublin life. It was even better—Ireland was playing Scotland in the 6 Nations Rugby Test Matches and most fans were getting ready for the game with a couple of pints. Before the match, it was shoulder to shoulder, with all decked out in Scottish kilts, or rugby jerseys —what a blast!
Kehoes is a Traditional Irish Heritage Bar, established in 1803.
As I have said, the place was packed, both sides had excited fans and the Guinness flowed.
Bartenders at Kehoes—the Guinness and other beers flowed before the rugby match
Kilts on the Scots mixed in with Green Irish team jerseys and the banter was non-stop, pointing out the merits of one side versus the other side deficiencies.
Two local gents we struck up a conversation at Kehoes Pub. Please look carefully in the background—you can see the green Irish rugby jersey front and back over the bar.
By the way, Ireland lost later in the day in an upset to Scotland (23-20)!
There could not have been a better pre-game event—Scotts dressed in Kilts, pubs packed with friendly rivals almost shoulder-to shoulder (pre-COVID-19 Days), all drinking copious quantities of beer, and an electric atmosphere.
The real thing was the display of national pride by both sides. This is what really makes it special and a memory we won’t forget.
Adventure 3—Visit Guinness Storehouse
Guinness Storehouse tells the story of brewing Guinness beer. In the exhibit, it tells about how the beer is brewed and information about its founder, Arthur Guinness and other family members who controlled the business.
This is not the actual brewery—it occupies several city blocks on the river. Here is a photo of the massive brewery complex:
Part of the huge brewing complex for Guinness Beer
You know you must be famous when your country-men crate a statue to commemorate your brewing skill—this is located at St. Patrick’s Church grounds. This is the grandson of Arthur Guinness, Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, who developed a large export business for his stout beer and made the beer famous. Okay, he also was a representative in Parliament, a Baronet (a British hereditary dignity) and the wealthiest man in Ireland and brewed great beer—he certainly deserves a graveside statue in my book.
The graveside marker for Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness
St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin—it is the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland. Sir Benjamin Guinness donated the money to make a major restoration of the national cathedral and it is why his grave site is on the grounds.
While Guinness beer is world famous, in a brilliant marketing move in the 1950’s, they started to publish The Guinness Book of World Records—all to answer trivia questions of the pub patrons in Ireland and England. Happy patrons drink more beer!
The Guinness Storehouse is located in an old brewery in the St. James section of Dublin that has been repurposed to tell the story of the Guinness brew. It is especially festive during the week of St. Patrick’s Day celebration, and there are added attractions, music, and it is a fun celebration that aren’t available during other times of the year.
Anne ready to go into the Guinness Storehouse.
While this venue is available year round, it is still really worthwhile to learn about the signature beer of Ireland during any visit if you can’t make it during festival time. I promise you, even if you don’t like the Guinness style stout brew, it just tastes better in Ireland.
There are 7 floors in this venue, which has been open since 2000. It is fun to see the history of the Guinness brew, explaining the 4 ingredients—water, hops, yeast, and barley (both roasted and malted barley are used) ; looking at the ways they transported the breverage to market ;and the advertising methods.
Part of the Tasting Experience on the 2nd floor.
Display of the heating elements used to make Guinness
Old time train engine used to transport Guinness to market.
Made of More sculpture—this 12 ft tall carved wood sculpture tells the 250 year history of Guinness Brewery. It was carved by Jonathan Santana. It is displayed on the 2nd floor of the Guinness Storehouse.
Anne is posing with her friend a turtle transporting a pint of Guinness, part of the 3rd floor World of Advertising display
The tour includes a Guinness poured on the 7th floor Gravity Bar, which has an excellent glassed in 360-degree views of all of Dublin.
Skyline view of Dublin.
Anne with her Guinness in the Gravity Bar.
On the 5th floor, there are 2 upscale restaurants. We chose the 1837 Bar & Brasserie over the Brewers Dining Hall, where Anne and I ate a great meal—Guinness Beef Stew served with Guinness Soda Bread for me.
Hank with his Guinness ready to go into the 1837
Anne ready to order in the 1837
The staff is placing our order at the 1837 Bar & Brasserie
Soda bread made with Guinness
My Guinness Beef Stew—I liked the way the served it traditional style with mash potatoes and a whole carrot on top of the rich, hearty stew.
My Final Thoughts
What a great adventure—Ireland during St. Patrick’s Day—just another reason we love the Old World of Europe so much! We hope you enjoyed these pictures as much as we enjoyed experiencing them during our travels. Festivals like this are experiences well worth your travel dollars—you will never forget how fun they are.
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HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 49 years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:
AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent
