Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin!.

By Posted in - Europe & Ireland on March 12th, 2012

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Ahhh… Dublin. Home to James Joyce, the River Liffey, the Book of Kells and of course the Guinness Storehouse!

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Photos: Streets of Dublin at Night & The River Liffey

I’ve never met a single person who didn’t like Dublin and if you’ve visited it’s easy to see why it ranks as a top destination. It has it all! From the friendliest locals & quaint restaurants to the crazy evenings in the Temple Bar, Dublin will ease your weary travel bones instantly and leave you wanting more. There are plenty of budget hostels and hotels in Dublin to choose from that help make it an accessible destination for just about everyone. During my trip to Dublin I immediately fell in love with the city and vowed to myself that I would return for an extended stay at some point in my life. I can’t help but wish I was there now and I figured that with St. Patrick’s Day upon us what better time is there than now to check out the happenings around Dublin!

If you’re headed to Dublin this week you’ll want to make sure you check out these two amazing festivals:

1. St. Patrick’s Festival

When: 16th – 19th March 2012
Where : Throughout the City
Time : appx. 10am – 10pm daily
Price : Varies – depending on activity
This is a must-d0 for the St. Paddy’s celebration.  The festival is scattered throughout areas of Dublin and includes a lot of different events:
  • Funfairs – This is the main carnival/roller coaster/fun for all celebration that is sure to be a blast for every age.
  • Irish Craft Beer Festival – Celebrate Irish brews with music, Irish food & family entertainment.
  • St. Patrick’s Festival Parade – Leave it to Dublin to set the streets on fire in a very original way! This parade isn’t just any ole’ street parade but instead a science theme parade based on the questions of “How, What & Why”. I think this actually sounds pretty interesting not just for kids but all ages. Bands from Ireland, U.K., Russia & the U.S. will be bringing the streets to life  with this festival event.
  • Walking Tour – In The Footsteps of St. Patrick – Take a guided walking tour through ancient sites & cathedrals and learn about the life & time of Ireland’s Patron Saint.
  • Brewing In The Time of St. Patrick – “A look back at the history of brewing, from the days of St. Patrick to the current craft beer revival.  Meet some of the brewers leading the revival!” – Sounds good to me!
There will also be street performers and bands all around town performing. As an added bonus this festival coincides with another popular Dublin event called “I Love My City”. On Friday March 16th & Saturday March 17th you can celebrate the Irish culture with free entrance to many of the cities top cultural events! There is a long list of events you can attend so be sure to check and see if there is anything you want to add to your Dublin itinerary.
From the sounds of it I’m sure it’s harder to avoid this city wide festival than it would be to participate in it so be sure to check out the St. Patrick’s Festival website which includes more information on times, events & locations.

 

2. The Guinness Storehouse St. Patrick’s Festival

When: 16th – 18th March 2012
Where : Guinness Storehouse
Time : appx. 9:30 am – 7 pm daily
Price : €14.40 or Free! (see below)

I’m not sure it’s possible to visit Dublin and not hit up the Guinness Storehouse and on St. Patrick’s Day weekend it would be downright sacrilegious to miss the three day festival held at the Storehouse.  Take in the live, local music, learn how to pour the perfect pint, dance the day away at the large Céilí (Irish folk dance), watch the Six Nations rugby team play games on large screens throughout the venue or just take in the 360° views from the top floor Gravity Bar.

I have been to the Storehouse and it is a lot of fun so I’m sure spending St. Patrick’s Day there will bring the excitement to the next level. There are a ton of events happening at the Guinness Storehouse over the weekend and rumor has it that they will be trying to break a World Record!

They’ll be tastings a plenty at this event so be sure to sample the Guinness infused food and the several variations of the world’s favorite black stuff. As a personal tip, I highly recommend that you buy some of the Guinness infused dark chocolate and take it with you to the Gravity Bar. It is unbelievable how good it tastes when paired with a pint. You’ll probably end up buying plenty more chocolate bars after you taste it just to drink with – at least that’s what I did!

Admission – here’s the fun part.  If you’re name is Patrick or Patricia (or any variation of) you get free admission and a VIP pass on March 17th! Not named after the National Saint? Don’t fret, if you purchase your tickets online at the Guinness Storehouse website you can still save 10%.

p.s. If you’re wondering – yes it really does taste better in Dublin!

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Photos: Randy sips a Guinness in Dublin & the famous Temple Bar 

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