With St. Patrick’s Day weekend fast approaching it’s time to start organising your bank holiday weekend. In honour of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, a variety of celebrations have been organised all over the country.
This year St Patrick’s Day lands on the perfect day to make the most of your weekend with plenty of great events to attend. From family fun days to rooftop parties, we’ve got something for everyone!
Join in on the fun with our guide including some of the best ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s day this year.
Family fun at Festina Lente
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If you are looking for a family fun day, Festina Lente, located in Bray are hosting a jam-packed day of fun this St. Patrick’s Day where you can enjoy a pony ride around the beautiful Victorian Walled Gardens, followed by an array of nature activities.
Some of the St. Patrick’s Day activities include a scavenger hunt, creating nature magic wands, building bug hotels and many more. You are welcome to bring a picnic and the best part is parents go free!
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Weekend at Jameson Distillery Bow St.
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The iconic Jameson distillery will welcome guests from all over the nation and the world starting on Friday, March 15th, for a weekend of Irish celebrations that will include a variety of entertaining and engaging activities as well as signature Jameson serves.
Over the course of the three days, guests will be treated to live performances by amazing acts such as Ispíní na hÉireann, The X Collective, and the Dublin Ukulele Collective. Celebrating the best in Irish music, DJs Sally Cinnamon and Graham Smyth (2FM) will provide a soundtrack for the evening’s celebration.
Paddy’s Slay Drag Show
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Sis nights are taking over the Grand Social this Paddy’s Day eve with a night of fun and entertainment with some of the best Irish drag queens performing. Tickets start from €11.70 with this event bound to get you in the Paddy’s Day spirit.
Who doesn’t love a drag show?!
Festival Quarter at St. Patrick’s Festival 2024
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Hosted in the National Museum of Ireland from 12:00 p.m to 10:30pm, this festival promises a weekend of amazing acts on the main stage, performance spaces, relaxation areas, a mini-funfair, and the Irish Food and Craft Village with traditional Irish music in every corner. All ages are welcome to visit Festival Quarter with all activities free on the 17th. From 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. the festival will be open to adults only.
Some of the acts performing on the day include the world famous Céilí Mór with Dearbhla Lennon, Faró, Louise Mulcahy, and Ispíní na hÉireann.
On Saturday night, the 16th of March, Mother Presents Cultúr Club, is 18+ and requires a pre-purchased ticket that will work for the full evening’s festivities.
Fota Wildlife Park
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From St. Patrick’s weekend, Fota Wildlife Park will recommence their feeding times schedule to the public. This gives you the opportunity to plan your route around the park with the chance to see your favourite animals being fed. Visiting Fota is a great way to spend St. Patrick’s Day if parades and festivals are not your thing!
Fota Wildlife is located on Fota Island, near Carrigtwohill, County Cork, perfect for any of our Munster readers.
St. Patrick’s Festival in Galway
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The Eyre Square plaza will host family-friendly entertainment over the course of three days (16-18 March 2024) during the St Patrick’s Festival. Potential attractions include an antique carousel, funfair games and children’s entertainment, though these are yet to be confirmed.
On St. Patrick’s Day, there will be performances by Yale University folk singers Tangled Up In Blue, Swiss carnival band Escheschränzer Eschenbach, and drumming trio Drumadore. The trad folk-rock band Kettle Boilers and the award-winning Galway supergroup BackWest to finish.
Hyde St Patrick’s Festival
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Hyde Bar have something for everyone this St. Patrick’s Day! The four-story club has different DJs on each floor, with the ground floor having live traditional music and the rooftop having an Ibiza-themed party. Starts at 10 p.m until late.
Tickets are on sale now for €17.07.
Visit Dublin Zoo
Why not swing by Dublin Zoo on Paddy’s Day for a jam-packed lineup of fun?
Visitors will be greeted by a special Leprechaun upon arrival, who will be encouraging them to enter the ‘pot of gold’ competition and be in with a chance of winning an annual pass to Dublin Zoo! And of course, there will be special snake talks on the day.
Find out more here.
Celebrate St Patrick’s Day’s roots in Waterford
Did you know a Waterford man created St Patrick’s Day? Fr Luke Wadding added the Feast of St. Patrick on March 17th when he was creating an official list of saints back in the 1630s.
To mark this impressive achievement, the county is having a four-day celebration over the weekend across the Deise county.
Find out more here.
Go on Croke Park’s Teidí Tours
This family-friendly event is here for not only St Patrick’s Day but for Easter as well!
Young GAA fans will have a basket full of fun as they make their very own sports bear followed by a guided tour of Croke Park stadium with their furry friend.
Find out more here.
Enjoy the Guinness Storehouse
Sure how could you not visit the Guinness Storehouse?
For this year’s St Patrick’s Festival, the Guinness Storehouse is Bringing on the Good Times and celebrating the best of modern Irish music, art, food, and entertainment with a traditional twist,
Find out more here.
Enjoy Irish cinema at The Montenotte
Join The Montenotte this St. Patrick‘s Day and enjoy a curated selection of Irish cinema classics at the luxurious Cameo Cinema.
Guests can immerse themselves in the rich tapestry of Irish film culture while sipping on Irish Whiskey flights and enjoying authentic Irish coffees.
Find out more here.
Visit the Home of St Patrick
Armagh City is the “Home of St Patrick,” the place where Patrick began his mission. Most of the festival activities are based in city centre venues.
One of the highlights is the Vigil Walk which takes place between the two St Patrick’s Cathedrals, the only city in the world to have the honour of having two Cathedrals that share the same name.
Find out more here.
Enjoy Kilkenny Tradfest
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The festival takes place between the 15th and 18th of March and features over 70 free gigs on the Bulmers Trad Trail, top-class traditional music workshops at the beautiful, medieval Rothe House.
There will be an unprecedented fourteen Headline Concerts including Hothouse Flowers, John Spillane, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Clare Sands, Pádraig Jack, Nell Ní Chróinín and a host of other household names.
Find out more here.
Take a hike
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Want to get at one with nature?
Well climbing Croagh Patrick is a St Patrick’s Day rite of passage.
Every year, hundreds of people climb Westport’s holy mountain, where St Patrick is said to have fasted at the summit for 40 days.
Words by Abby Sammon
