The day is fast approach and The Irish Store has put together the ultimate guide to spending St. Patrick’s Day 2016 in Dublin.
Things to do on St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin
1. Watch the World Famous Parade
The parade in the Dublin City Centre is the original St. Patrick’s Day event and the one that cities all around the world have taken inspiration from over the years. The parade itself starts at 12:00 PM in Parnell Square in Dublin 1. You can read about the various pageants here.
2. Drink in the Atmosphere
Ireland is famous for the “craic” and Guinness and there is no better day to drink in both than St. Patrick’s Day! You can read our detailed guide to the best pubs in Dublin. Alternatively, you can visit the “Irish Craft Beer & Whiskey Village” in the RDS, Dublin 4. Now in its fifth year, entry is just €10 and this includes live music, food stalls, games and even a silent disco. The RDS is just 4 kilometres from Temple Bar and a taxi will cost approx. €10-12 for the journey if you want to get out of the city centre for a few hours.
For fans of Irish whiskey living away from the Emerald Isle, you can pick up a bottle of best-selling Irish Whiskey.
3. Watch the GAA Club Finals in Croke Park
Starting with the Hurling final at 2 pm, this promises to be a brilliant way to spend your afternoon. GAA is the backbone of every town and village across the country and St. Patrick’s Day is the pinnacle for these amateur players competing for the honour of being crowned the best club in Ireland. Croke Park is the 3rd largest stadium in Europe, incredible considering the game is completely amateur.
The stadium can hold up to 82,300 people and the atmosphere will be electric on St. Patrick’s Day. The Hurling final is followed by the football final at 4 pm. This is an excellent opportunity to see both forms of Ireland’s National Game in full flow. You can read more about it here. Croke Park is 4 kilometres from Temple Bar in the opposite direction to the RDS. Expect the Football final to be finished at roughly 5:15 pm so you can easily be back in the city centre for 6 pm.
4. Sample some traditional Irish Food
It’s dinner time and your stomach is rumbling. Try an Irish stew which is sure to fill you up and give you the energy to party well into the night. Irish stew pairs very well with a Guinness so make to have one with your dinner if possible! There are plenty of places to try but we can recommend “Boxty” which is perfectly located in Temple Bar, an Irish Stew here will set you back €15.90 and you can pick from lamb, beef or vegetarian stews so there is something for everyone in your party.
5. Time to Party
You have far too many options when it comes to nightlife in Dublin, especially on St. Patrick’s Day. You can visit some of the pubs mentioned previously and if you are looking to keep the party going into the early hours of the morning then you can visit Harcourt and Camden Street where there are a concentration of nightclubs and late-bars. Copper Face Jacks is a particularly famous nightclub but expect large queues with a waiting time of up to 30 minutes.
You can read our previous blog posts about “Top 5 Irish Pubs in Dublin” and “Who Was Saint Patrick” if you enjoyed this post and would like to learn a little more about the tradition and the city of Dublin itself.
Want to bring a touch of Dublin to your home?
Check out our range of Celtic Clothing, St Patrick’s Day gifts, Irish Jewelry, and homeware in our Irish Store. They’re beautifully made and authentically Irish, so they’ll make you feel like you’re home in Ireland!
