As the middle of March approaches, that can only mean one thing—St. Patrick’s Day. Whether you attend your own local parade or take in one of the major spectacles around the country, we hope you enjoy the celebration of all things Irish. It’s not all about parades, however. Here are some events you can take the kids to this March:

1. St. Patrick’s Day Festival – Galway City

Venue:Galway City
Date: March 17h
Cost: Free

Contact: Website
[email protected]

The Galway St. Patrick’s Day Parade is always something special, and this year promises to be no exception. Highlights to watch out for include floats and displays from An Taibhdhearc, Colours Street Theatre, the Russian Culture Club, and the Galway Arts Centre. The parade finale will centre on local stars Macnas with their youth ensemble, and Gamelan na Gaillimhe bringing the parade to a conclusion with their Indonesian gongs.

2. Gamercon

Venue: Spencer Dock, Dublin City Centre
Date: March 18^th-19th
Cost: Adult from €15 | Family (2 Adults +2 Children or 1+3) from €48
Contact: +353 1 8560000 [email protected]
theccd.ie

Gamers young and old will be flocking to Ireland’s biggest gaming event, GamerCon, this March. YouTube stars will be on hand to offer precious tips to bring your gaming technique to a new level, and you can visit GamerCon’s VR Zone to discover all the latest advances in Virtual Reality. There are five different zones, so there is plenty to explore. You can also shop Ireland’s biggest single collection of gaming merchandise and indulge your inner ‘80s gamer in the Retro Zone. Pacman and Street

3. Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom, Cork

Venue: Cork Opera House, Cork City
Date: 8th and 9th March; 1 pm & 4:30 pm (Wed) & 10 am & 1 pm (Thurs)
Cost: €19 – €21
Contact: Tel. + 353 (0) 21 – 427 0022 (Booking fees may apply to telephone and online bookings) Cork Opera House ticket sales

If you have a Peppa Pig fan in your house, they will love the live stage show of Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom, the BAFTA-winning television animation from the same makers.

Holly is a young fairy Princess, who has not yet mastered how to fly or use her magic properly. She and her best friend, Ben the Elf, have adventures with Gaston the Ladybird in the Little Kingdom, a miniature world where flowers and grass raise high above them. This delightful show for all the family is full of songs, humour, and games.

4. Limerick International Band Competition

Venue: Limerick City Centre
Date: March 19^th, 12 noon
Cost: Free
Contact: Phone: +353 61 518014 [email protected] www.Limerick.ie/StPatricksFestival

There’s nothing quite like a good marching band, and you’ll hear dozens of them at the 47th Limerick International Band Championship on 19th March. Ireland’s only international band competition, it attracts some 50,000 spectators every year and is part of the city’s St. Patrick’s Festival. It will be led by the Irish Army Band, the Band of the First Southern Brigade, from Pery Square at 12 noon and end in Arthur’s Quay Park with a free concert for the public.

Full details of the Limerick International Band Championship 2017 can be found in our dedicated Limerick St. Patrick’s Festival section.

5. Giant LEGO Trail at Castle Espie

Venue: Castle Espie, 78 Ballydrain Road, Comber, BT23 6EA
Dates: February 11^th to April 2nd
Cost: The LEGO brick trail is included in the admission price to the wetland trail, which offers family tickets for £22.75. Workshops are priced at £8.50 per participant. Book online for 10% off general admission.
Contact: See website

There can hardly be a house in the country without LEGO bricks (some of which you may find with your bare feet in the dark!). If you have a LEGO fan in your family, get to Castle Espie Wetland Centre in Belfast before April 2nd for the giant LEGO brick trail, designed to encourage kids (of all ages) to build a better future for the natural world. There are ten giant animals made from LEGO bricks—some up to 12 times life size—Natalie the Nene (the world’s rarest goose and Kate the Kingfisher, made with help from CBBC’s Blue Peter’s Barney Harwood.
As well as models, there is a series of LEGO brick workshops alongside the trail every weekend in which those with pre-booked tickets will join in three exciting team-based tasks against the clock.

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