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THE SCHEDULE FOR this year’s St Patrick’s Festival in Dublin has been announced, with outdoor cinemas, street theatre and a treasure hunt set to join the grand festival parade on Friday 17 March.
According to figures provided by the Festival, the annual event attracted over 105,000 visitors from abroad to Dublin in 2016, who spent an average of 8.8 days in Ireland during their trip.
In 2015, they say tourists spent €73 million in Ireland when they came to celebrate St Patrick’s Day.
Running from Thursday 16 to Sunday 19 March, here are some of the events happening around the capital for the St Patrick’s Festival:
Thursday 16 March
Dancing shoes at the ready, as Earlsfort Terrace is transformed into a dance hall from 4.30pm to 7.30pm for a Céilí.
A special screening of Jim Sheridan’s acclaimed film In America will be screened at a special open-air showing in the surroundings of Swords Castle from 7.30pm.
Friday 17 March
This is the main event, as the grand parade kicks off from midday at Parnell Square.
The theme for this year’s parade is “Ireland You Are”, with magical faerie stories, ancient mythical tribes and trailblazing pirates all set to feature, alongside bands from America, France, Germany, Switzerland, the Bahamas and, of course, Ireland.
Saturday 18 March
Around 4,000 people are expected for the treasure hunt at City Hall on Dame Street, which kicks off at 10am and lasts till 1pm.
Marching bands and pop-up choirs will take over St Stephen’s Green in the afternoon, while some of Ireland’s most renowned portrait artists will capture the faces of Irish children at the Ark, Eustace Street in Temple Bar from 10.30am.
Another open-air cinema will show the recent hit film Sing Street at Fingal County Council Civic Offices on Grove Road in Blanchardstown from 7.30pm.
Sunday 19 March
Merrion Square is the main venue today, with a street carnival full of theatre, music, arts, crafts and more.
Budding scientists can embrace the Science Zone and epic story lovers can listen to fantasy storytelling at the Festival Big Day Out from midday to 6pm.
The full programme of events can be found here.
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Last day of Cheltenham and not in work = pub
I’ll never forget the last day of Cheltenham last year. Over there inside the final flight bar, booze and craic flowing like it was the last day on Earth. Who walks in, only Ruby Walsh! Photos were taken and stories were shared. Anyway one thing led to another, and I ended up fighting him in the carpark of a McDonalds
Here’s how you will be able to celebrate St Patrick’s day in four words, DRINK, FECK, ARSE, GIRLS.
Darren Cooney, surely the 4 words should read DRINK,FEIC GIRLS ARSE!!
Paddies Day in Dublin is shite, drunk tourists all over the place, 15 year old getting sick in Temple Bar. No thanks
@John Lally:- Should be a winge free day then if you and the likes are going to be no shows.
Can we go to the hill of Tara and commemorate where the great druids of Ireland were burned to the stake at the hands of the Romans Catholic emissary Patrick and his armies…. Because that’s what it is really about.
@Dick Durkin: And I thought he didn’t exist
He existed alright, just not in the way we have been told….he was the Henry Kissinger of his day.
It great to see St Patricks Day festivities being organised to this level. Congrats to the organisers. Its great to see the end of the dark days of catholic dominance in this country. (St Patricks Day was a closed day for pubs).
@Brendan Mason: A bit late with the programme really = it should have been out months ago.
Dominated as every year by off licence opening times…
Club finals in Croke Park followed by the Comic Relief gig in The Point for me.
I’m afraid Saturday will be spent watching Ireland beat England to win the 6 nations. COYBIG
Incorrect Paul.
Celebrating a day for a brit. Shame !
Jones is a good English name.
Its not.
Kieran the English way of spelling Cìaran?
Kieran – is that not the Liver Building you are stood in front of on your profile picture there? Another hypocritical twunt.
Whats your point ?
Kieran – that you are a plank I think is the general message. That would be the Liver Building in Liverpool, England you know where the English live.
So. i never mentioned the english so again do you have a point?
Feck the borderline racist shenanigans of the overrated Paddy’s day, traditions become marred by disgraceful stereotypes and tomfoolery. Besides we shud be thinking why the flip it is remotely acceptable we still a government who participated in the effort to destroy an innocent public servants life.
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