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24th February 2020
05:28pm GMT
Every March Dublin becomes a city vibrating at a higher frequency. Once the festival kicks off, every street is charged with energy. Every business is at max capacity. The air smells like toasted hops and street food. There’s a sea of green hats bobbing along. Waves of marching bands rattle down Dame Street. At least one guy in an ill-advised inflatable leprechaun suit tries to lead a chant without knowing the words.
Before it became a festival, St. Patrick’s Day was a religious occasion. Until 1961, pubs were legally required to close on March 17th. The parade, in its current global-spectacle form, didn’t even exist until 1996. Before that, it was mostly military vehicles and marching bands, and tourists were actively warned away from Ireland in March due to the weather.
Then the Celtic Tiger roared. Global Irish identity evolved, and soon the parade was less tractors and scout troops, more celebration of Ireland through its eras. Then came the artists. Macnas, aerial performers, and elaborately costumed dancers twirling on stilts. By the early 2000s, Dublin on St. Patrick’s Day had become a spectacle, a pilgrimage, an annual ritualistic sacrifice. A childhood-making experience that can't be replicated or replaced.
This year, the National St. Patrick’s Festival is promising more than ever. So you’re going to have a good time no matter what. But a little strategy never hurt anyone.
Here’s how to make the most of your Paddy’s Day adventure without getting stuck in the mire of choice paralysis.
Dublin goes all out with a multi-day festival turning the city into one giant celebration. If you’ve got an ounce of brainpower, you should start your weekend with the Dublin City Council St Patrick's Festival Treasure Hunt on March 15. It’s been missing since the pandemic. Now it’s back. Part historical mystery tour, part mild cardio session, part excuse to get competitive with your mates.
If your idea of adventure doesn’t involve solving riddles before noon, take the slower approach: brunch. Get a breakfast roll from Declan and Donal's and see if you can hear the parade-ers warming up. Or get a reservation at one of Dublin's best brunch spots.
At 12pm on March 17, the National Parade kicks off, and half a million people flood the streets to catch a glimpse. The key is knowing where to stand.
Grandstand seats – If you’re a planner, grab a spot at stpatricksfestival.ie for a clear view and no elbow jabs from strangers.
Relaxed Parade Space – A sensory-friendly area for those who need a calmer atmosphere.
Best standing spots – O’Connell Bridge (solid views), Dame Street (less packed), College Green (near pubs for a post-parade pint).
Dressing for a parade is a job of work in Ireland. Dublin in March is a fashion gamble. It could be crisp and sunny or sideways rain with a wind that makes you question your life choices. Often within the same hour. Layers are your best friend. Think a warm, waterproof jacket, a decent pair of boots that can handle puddles, and a hat that won’t fly off and end up in the Liffey. If you're committing to full shamrock chic, be sure to wear a base layer under your novelty T-shirt for when the cold kicks in. And for the love of all things Irish, don’t rely on an umbrella. They are a divil to be avoided in crowds and Dublin wind will eat it alive.
Every year the parade has a theme, so its never quite the same. 'Adventures' is the theme of the 2025 festival. Which should bring out the weird, wild and wonderful.
Get excited for the colours of Macnas, Bui Bolg, and Spraoi. As well as a curated crème de la crème of local, national and international marching bands with feathered hats out the wazoo. This year the Pavee Point collaboration is a 40-year celebration of Traveller & Roma culture, featuring a tribute to the wagon wheel.
By 4pm, the city is ready to get up and about. The dance floors are calling. So it's time to get your onetwothrees out of retirement and get stuck into the Céilí Mór.
Merrion Square is where you’ll find live trad, professional céilí dancers, and first-timers attempting The Siege of Ennis. If you haven't lusca-ed since your days in the Gaeltacht of your parents' choice or you’ve never céilí’d before, don’t worry—you’ll be grand. It's good craic.
Can't be rallied for a bit of a boogie? No shame. There's a whole heap of alternatives calling your name.
If you want to mix things up. Go for it. Paddy's isn't purely about the parade. It’s often the little intangible things that punctuate the streets which capture the Irish spirit best. The easy camaraderie of the day, the pubs buzzing with laughter, and the collective feeling that you're all in this together. So while you soak in that you can check out Acrobats, comedians, and fire performers casually doing whimsical stunts. If you meander the city you're sure to come across at least one of the laundry list of performers which includes Cikada Circus, Tumble Circus, Hands Down Circus, Symmetry Circus, and Amadan Circus. Stick around the Wood Quay Amphitheatre, Wolfe Tone Square, Hugh Lane Gallery, Capel Street, Barnardo Square, and St. Stephen’s Green.
There's also live music to be found all across the city on Paddy's. From the classic trad sessiún in the Cobblestone to funky DJ sets in Bow Lane you can find something that suits. If you want to avoid the townlands then maybe try loop in with the Aware Harbour2Harbour Walk. This 26km trek from Howth to Dún Laoghaire is the move.
If that doesn't feel like the move for you then maybe you can try hit up the Jameson Distillery Bow Street. Jameson Distillery Bow Street has teamed up St. Patrick’s Festival to bring The Bedlam Bazaar – A Misfit Cabaret. For all intents and purposes it's a St Patrick's variety show. Think clowning, comedy, magic, burlesque, circus antics, and music, all crammed into one of Dublin’s legendary haunts. The show is lovingly curated by the Amadan Ensemble, specialists in pushing the limits of clowning and comedy theatre. The Harmony The Love Guru will act as guide along with her accomplice, The Imp. Expect the unexpected, belly laughs, and possibly a few raised eyebrows.
Strictly 18+ and you can guarantee your spot by snagging tickets on the St. Patrick’s Festival website.
Check out L Mulligan Grocer, Etto, The Pig’s Ear or Spitalfields if you're the plan ahead type - or hit up Umi, Reyna, Chiya or Zaytoon if falafel or kebabs are more your thing. Of course there's always fish and chips, spice bags, and pizza galore to be found all across the city too.
Pints wise we're all for The Palace Bar, Grogan's, Brogans, The Lord Edward, Kehoe's and really any Irish pub that you can squeeze into.
By 9pm, you have a choice to make.
Still standing? Head to The Big Romance, Lucky’s, or The Workman’s for a proper Dublin session. If you find yourself running on fumes? Don't strain. Participate in a time honoured tradition of grabbing some munch and heading home.
