Lá Fheile Padraig sona daoibh go léir! Lots of fantastic celebrations are happening all around the country for St Patrick’s Day. Here are some of the highlights.

Dublin

Dublin’s St Patrick’s Day festival will kick off on the 16th March, lasting 4 days and including 30 events. The highlight will be the Parade on St Patrick’s day, starting at 12 noon, which will weave its way through the heart of the capital city in a flourish of colour and flair. There will be funfairs in Merrion Square and the Custom House Quay from Friday to Sunday. The Festival Big Day Out takes place in Merrion Square on Sunday 19th from 12- 6 pm. This free event has an incredible array of family activities. Yoga storytelling, kite making, sword fighting, there really is no other way to spend your Sunday in Dublin!

Bray, Co.Wicklow

Epic though the Dublin celebrations may be, sometimes the logistics of bringing small children into the city centre can be daunting. Consider instead taking the Dart to Bray where a festival on a smaller, but no less entertaining scale is planned. Start the morning with a fun-filled Irish dancing course, followed by an open air Céilé to show off your newly acquired skills. Children will even get a complimentary breakfast roll. A Parade, free concerts, guided walks and fun fairs mean there is something for all ages.

Athlone

The Athlone parade will begin at 2.30pm and always has some great floats and marching bands. There are face painters in Athlone Town Centre from 1-5pm to make sure everyone looks the part for the festivities.

Dungarvan

Dungarvan will be starting the festivities on the 16th, with bands and music playing from 7.30pm on the Quay followed by fireworks at 9 pm. The party continues on the 17th with a parade starting at 3 pm.

Kinsale

Kinsale too is getting into the festive spirit a day early. The Maritime Parade starting at 7.30pm in the harbour will be a magical scene when local boats light up the night sky. There will also be a parade on dry land at 4 pm on Saturday to round off the celebrations.

Kilkenny

Kilkenny will party all weekend with a Trad Fest. Concerts, workshops and trad sessions galore, will keep those who are musically-minded happy. There is also a vintage fairground Friday-Sunday 11am-6pm on the Parade, to keep the little ones entertained. Along with street performers, a St Patrick’s Day Dash and of course the St Patrick’s Day parade it really will be a weekend to remember.

Limerick

The Limerick parade is always a great spectacle. But there is so much more happening around the city for the weekend. There is a Trad Trail at various locations around the city from 16th-19th March. The Limerick International Band Championship takes place on Sunday the 19th at 12 noon. If that’s not enough, on Saturday and Sunday, there is national hunt racing at Limerick racecourse, with free entry for under 12’s. Truly something for everyone.

Westport

Westport is celebrating their birthday, marking 250 years since the foundation of the town. A full day’s festivities are planned for the 17th, with an open-air traditional music session at 1.00pm followed by the parade, an open-air céilí and street musicians.

The Harbour at Westport Quay is the location for Saturday’s festival programme featuring street performers including Arcana’s giant U2 heads and a spectacular fireworks extravaganza at dusk. All under the shadow of Croagh Patrick if you feel energetic after all the celebrating.

All the big parades have provisions in place for those with special accessibility requirements, so everyone can enjoy the fun.

Find Your Local Parade

There are Parades big and small happening throughout the country. InspireMe.ie have a comprehensive list of what’s going on all around around the country. Parades are all about communities. They are more than just a string of floats and half frozen kids marching by. They are a celebration of our localities and what makes us Irish. Hope you all have a fantastic St Patrick’s Day. Visit InspireMe.ie to find a parade near you.

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