A round up of the St. Patrick’s events from around the country.
According to Google Trends, Google search data reveals increased activity in travel and tourism in Ireland with searches in the sector up 85% with searches for ‘St. Patrick’s Day’ increasing by 79% in Ireland and by 35% in the US! It’s hardly surprising given that it’s the first St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in three years so the excitement is real. We've rounded up our favourite St. Patrick's Day activities for you to enjoy.
National St. Patrick’s Festival
The National St. Patrick’s Festival takes place March 16th to 20th 2022. Connections/Naisc is the theme of this year’s spectacular global celebration of Irish arts, culture and heritage, as the Festival invites Ireland and the world to reconnect in Dublin after the unparalleled challenges of recent years. The iconic National St. Patrick’s Day Parade returns to the streets of Dublin on March 17th, and new for 2022 is Festival Quarter at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks which will be home to a magical day-to-night urban Festival for all, from March 16th to 20th.
As a nation known for our musical talents, it’s no surprise that St. Patrick’s Festival 2022 is playing host to some of Ireland’s best loved musicians with an incredible line-up of traditional music, rock, pop and hip hop at the new Festival Quarter. Artists including Lyra, Damien Dempsey, Soulé, Le Boom with Glasshouse Orchestra, and Shandrum Céilí Band will be gracing the stage throughout the 5-day festival.
Festival Quarter Days at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks
Thursday 17th – Sunday 20th March, 12pm-6pm (all ages)
Enjoy four days of family friendly musical adventures from March 17th to March 20th. Get into the true St. Patrick’s Day spirit with the return of the much-loved Céilí Mór on the Main Stage on March 17th, with the Shandrum Ceili Band, Jiggy, The Bonnymen, and many more incredible traditional Irish artists, musicians, performers and dancers throughout the day. Live performances to enjoy during Festival Quarter Days will include Grooveline, the BLOC Hip Hop Party featuring Selló, Curiosity MG, Yomi Attention, Blaq Appollo and The Clan Worldwide; Music Generation’s 52-piece Harp Orchestra; Code of Behaviour, Ush Mush and many more. Abair, an international traditional arts project, made possible through the support of The Arts Council of Ireland, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government, and the Spanish Embassy in Dublin, will feature conversation and song with The Mary Wallopers, Spanish performer Juan Pinilla, Chris Miles, Welsh folk musician Gwilym Bowen Rhys, Grace Toland, Joe Mulhern and many more to be announced.
Festival Quarter Nights at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks
Wednesday 16th – Saturday 19th March, 6pm – 10.30pm daily (Strictly Over 18s)
From 6pm daily, Festival Quarter Nights will explode into life with stunning lighting displays and decor, a bustling food village, bars and hangout areas and the very best of Irish contemporary and traditional music to enjoy, just for adults. On opening night, Wednesday, the eve of St. Patrick’s Day, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist LYRA will be joined on the Main Stage by special guest electronic pop queen Soulé and many more. The undisputed queens of the Dublin dancefloor Mother DJs will take over the Spiegeltent Mór, while over at the Spiegeltent Beag join the comically absurd, skillfully slick and ridiculously entertaining Paradise Cabaret hosted by the pompous and pretentious Cian Austin Jesus and featuring Brian the Magic Man, Leonie Pony, Tom the Clay Head Campbell, Headonbody, The Wild Geeze, The Dirtbird, Gaeilgeoir, Cara Park, Gas Patter of Avoca Reaction and The Ping Pong Girls as they close out the opening-night celebrations. On Thursday, St. Patrick’s Night catch the hottest new Irish acts at Mo Cultivation in the Spiegeltent Mór with Nealo, Celaviedmai, Sim Simma Soundsystem, 1000 Beasts with Khakikid & Decarteret, The X-Collective and DJ Safarii. On Friday, a special Bank Holiday for 2022, legendary Dublin singer songwriter Damien Dempsey will uplift the voices of Dublin and the stories of Ireland on the Main Stage, with Adam Mohamed and special guests to be announced. Bringing their buzzing energy to Festival Quarter Nights, Le Boom are joined by The Glasshouse Orchestra plus guest Æ MAK in Spiegeltent Mór preceded by a second performance from Paradise Cabaret. On Saturday, the Sing Along Social crew make their first appearance in two years with their boldest session to date in the Spiegeltent Mór, alongside 8-piece funk and party anthem troupe Cooks But We're Chefs. There will be further line-up additions coming soon.
The Festival Programme is available now at stpatricksfestival.ie. All daytime events will be free of charge, on a first come, first served basis, while some nighttime events will require a pre-purchased ticket.
Free tours of Hook Lighthouse for all Patrick’s and Patricia’s this St. Patrick’s Day!
Hook Lighthouse sitting on the tip of the Hook Peninsula is offering visitors named ‘Patrick’ and ‘Patricia’ the chance to enjoy a free tour this St. Patrick’s Day plus there will be snake hunts for all the family to enjoy! The medieval lighthouse is celebrating all that is uniquely Irish from a green theme at the café and a celebration of Paddy’s, Patrick’s, Pat’s and Patricia’s plus there will be a Snake Hunt at 2 pm and 3 pm on the lighthouse lawns.
The award-winning Hook Lighthouse Visitor Centre offers experiential guided tours of the Medieval Hook Lighthouse Tower, sharing with visitors one of the greatest stories on Ireland’s Ancient East. Hook Lighthouse truly is one of a kind. Purpose-built as a lighthouse 800 years ago, and still fully operational today, it is the oldest intact operational Lighthouse in the World. The Visitor Centre has much to offer including free indoor and outdoor exhibits, art and crafts, a gift shop and a café with an extensive menu showcasing local and seafood specialities.
Guided tours are on offer 7 days a week at Hook Lighthouse, sharing with visitors one of the greatest stories on Ireland’s Ancient East. To book a tour see www.hookheritage.ie.
Waterford celebrates St. Patrick’s Day with a walking tour
At the entrance to Greyfriar's Church in Waterford City stands a sculpture of the famous Franciscan monk, theologian and historian, Luke Wadding. It is Luke Wadding who succeeded, against all the odds, in having St. Patrick's Day recognised as a Church holiday and of course and soon afterwards it became a worldwide day of celebration.
Born in Waterford in 1588 and ordained as a Franciscan priest in 1613 he quickly became one of the most respected and well-known Franciscan theologians at work in mainland Europe, mostly in Rome where he established an Irish college for clerical students studying for the priesthood.
During St. Patrick’s Weekend, a guided Luke Wadding historic walking tour of the City is available at 12, 2 pm and 4 pm and will be led by the expert guides from Waterford Treasures Museums.
The Luke Wadding Walking Tour tickets are available at €10 per person, under 12’s are free and tickets can be booked via Waterford Treasures on 051 849501 or via the ticket desk at the Bishop’s Palace Museum in Waterford City. For further details on the walking tour and the Waterford Treasures, museum collection see www.WaterfordTreasures.com
The 2022 St. Patrick's Day Parade, Cork.
After a long two years, Cork City Council is delighted to once again be able to welcome thousands of Corkonians to the streets or our annual pageant of colour and dance, showcasing all that is best about our 'Beautiful City – Charming and Pretty', as the old song goes.
The theme of the 2022 Parade is “HEROES – Ordinary People in Extraordinary Times”. Central to the Cork St. Patrick's Festival is the St. Patrick's Day Parade. The most vibrant and colourful display to be seen on the streets of our city, Cork's parade features members of communities from all walks of life across the city – sporting groups to dance schools, new communities, our long-established brass bands, and special guests from around the world.
There is a host of events taking place in Cork. Dara Ó'Briain is at the Cork Opera House on 16th March at 8pm (for tickets visit here). The Mary Wallopers are live at St. Luke’s on 18th and 19th March. Celtic Steps are at the Marina Market on 18th March promising a spectacular show of music, song and dance. A full list of events is available on https://www.corkcity.ie/en/cork-st-patricks-festival/.
EPIC (The Irish Emigration Museum) – Tiny Tots for younger children (4 to 12 years old)
Storytelling, Singing, Gaeilge for older children – 19 March: 11am, 1pm, 3pm. 90 minutes.
Join wonderful child-friendly performers at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum! Join our performers and storytellers for a captivating selection of stories, songs, activities and a cúpla focail that will bring Irish folklore and history to life for you and your little ones. Sing, dance, shout, learn, discover and create in our magical family festival, which is suitable for families with children up to 12 years old. Tickets €15 or €15 for family of four. For booking see here.
EPIC (The Irish Emigration Museum) – St Patrick's Treasures and Triumphs Trail (12 years and under) – 17 to 20 March.
The Irish are known for many things around the world – from folklore and history, to our appearance, personality, talents and skills.
EPIC is full of hidden Irish treasures. Can you find them all? Follow the trail of shamrocks as you travel through our 20 interactive themed galleries. Use the clues to answer all the questions on our St. Patrick’s Day quiz. Not only will you discover some fun facts, you’ll also get to put your Riverdance moves to the test, catch criminals and even fly on an aeroplane.
Raid your wardrobe for something green, polish your badge, grab a flag and get set to celebrate all things Irish with EPIC. No charge with EPIC admission. For booking see here.
EPIC (The Irish Emigration Museum) – The Green Roots Project Art Exhibition (for all ages) – 17 to 20 March.
The Green Roots Project believe that Ireland is uniquely placed to be a leader in the sustainability and environmental innovation movement. They want Ireland to be synonymous with sustainability, innovation and climate action. Their goal is to encourage people, communities, businesses, schools/colleges, and organisations to engage in more environmentally positive actions.
This St Patrick's week they will display their "40 Shades of Green" poster exhibition in the CHQ Building. No charge. For details see here.
Paint the Town Green at Teeling Distillery this St Patrick’s Day
Enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of a fully operational distillery in Newmarket in the heart of Dublin City Centre this St. Patrick’s Day, and then relax in the Bang Bang Bar. To celebrate St Patrick’s Day, Teeling Distillery has added something special to their Tour – a limited edition ‘Paint the Town Green’ cocktail.
Teeling Distillery is open on St Patrick’s Day from 11am to 6pm, Friday 18th from 11am to 6pm, Saturday 19th from 11am to 7pm and Sunday 20th from 11am to 6pm.
As the recent winner of ‘Most Sustainable Distillery in the World’, this cocktail is not only delicious but is made of all sustainable ingredients – and is served in an edible cup. ‘Paint the Town Green’ is a concoction of Teeling Small Batch, Homemade Spent Grain Orgeat syrup, Citrus and Apricot brandy.
To find out more information on the Teeling Whiskey Distillery, the virtual events and tastings and the online distillery shop where you can buy Distillery Exclusive offerings, visit www.teelingdistillery.com.
The Guinness Storehouse and the Guinness Open Gate Brewery.
The Home of Guinness declares it’s open for business as it hosts live music, pop-up performances, Brewer’s Feasts and much more between March 16th-20th. Announcing they are back open for business, The Guinness Storehouse and Guinness Open Gate Brewery have announced the details of what they have in store for consumers this St. Patrick’s Festival, which kicks off on Wednesday, 16th March 2022.
The five-day festival at the Home of the Black Stuff will see St. James’s Gate come alive with more entertainment and experiences than ever before, marking the first time the locations have been able to open for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations since 2019. For further information and tickets, please click here and www.guinnessopengate.com.
Music Generation – St. Patrick’s Day Festival, Cork City.
Music Generation Cork City promise dynamic take on traditional music for St. Patrick’s Day Festival. Young musicians from Music Generation Cork City descend on St. Patrick's Festival Quarter to share their dynamic take on Irish Traditional Music today. The Kabin Studio joins over one hundred young musicians from Music Generation at St. Patrick's Festival Quarter in Collins Barracks from 1pm on Saturday 19th March. Music Generation’s young community of harpers, rappers, classical, folk, and traditional musicians unite to mark the premier of new Irish works and celebrate Ireland’s national emblem – The Harp.
Music Generation Cork City is part of Music Generation, Ireland’s national music education programme which gives children and young people access to high-quality performance music education. With a mission to remove barriers of access to music and create inspiring musical experiences for children and young people, Music Generation Cork City and The Kabin are thrilled to collaborate with Ireland’s National Festival to create such a memorable live performance opportunity for its young participants. For more visit www.musicgeneration.ie.
The Irish Food Writers Awards Event
The Irish Food Writers Awards together with the National Dairy Council will host an event at the St Patricks Day festival titled “Is there an Irish cuisine?”. Taking place at midday on Saturday 19th March in Spiegeltent Beag, Festival Quarter, Collins Barracks Dublin. Admission is free.
An impressive panel, chaired by broadcaster Suzanne Campbell, will debate this question, asking – does Ireland now express itself through food and cuisine. Most of this is down to having a unique larder of ingredients produced by farmers and food producers from our mild climate which is well suited to produce food sustainably. For more visit here or The Irish Food Writers Awards.
Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with IKEA
If you fancy marrying a bit of shopping with some family fun, then visit IKEA Dublin on March 14th for a special St. Patrick’s Day party – with an IKEA twist! Think traditional Irish food, music and dancing, plus games, great prizes and more. Get your tickets in store but hurry, there’s a limited number available. Then, on St. Patrick’s Day from 9.30am, visit us for free face painting for your little ones. The perfect pre-parade prep.
Celebrating at home?
Of course, if you can’t make an event, check out celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at home with an Irish breakfast. This year Aldi has breakfast offers starting from under 65c per person! Offers include Aldi Value Irish Bacon & Egg Sandwich Breakfast offer costs just €2.46 and includes Brannan’s Irish Thick Cut Back Rashers – €0.99/250g, Healy’s Farm Medium Fresh Irish Eggs – €1.00/6 pack and Ballymore Crust Farmhouse Soda – €0.47/400g. For more offers, visit www.aldi.ie.
Deliveroo giving FREE lunches to anyone named Paddy this St Patrick’s Day!
Calling all Patrick, Patrice, Patricia and Patrizia's – your moment has arrived. For the day that's in it, Deliveroo will be giving anyone who bears one of these blessed names 17 euros worth of Deliveroo credit to order a tasty meal of their choosing. Who said there’s no such thing as a free lunch?!
Entering the competition couldn’t be easier – the Patricks (et al) of Ireland need only enter their details HERE between 11th-15th March to be in with a chance of winning. Once submitted Deliveroo will send the credit code directly to their inbox on St Patrick’s Day itself to fuel what is set to be a momentous day of celebrations.
