It’s Festival Friday once again, and this week there’s only one thing on our mind. That’s right – it’s St Patrick’s Day.
That most favourite of saints’ days is upon us, when we all suddenly get an urge to drink Guinness and dance around to fiddle-based music.
This year Paddy’s Day falls on a Saturday, so we’ve got no excuse not to get down the pub for a good ol’ fashioned knees-up.
Celebrations will be going on the world over; such is the popularity of St Patrick’s Day. But the place to really enjoy the big day is, of course, in Ireland.
The St Patrick’s Festival runs for four days, with the celebrations kicking off today. More than one million people flock to Dublin to enjoy the parades, music and pubs.
One of the big draws of the festival is the Irish Craft Beer festival, which sees more than 20 breweries from around the country come together to offer punters their best craft beer.
The festival-within-the-festival started yesterday, and runs until 19 March. It’s not all about drinking, there’s also entertainment and live music, and talks on the history of brewing in Ireland.
If beer isn’t your thing, don’t worry – there are plenty of other things to do at the festival, from walking tours of Dublin to Father Ted-themed comedy nights.
One of the biggest draws of the festival is the parade, which takes place on St Patrick’s Day. The parade celebrates the creativity and curiosity of Ireland, and this year is based around the theme of science.
The parade goes through the heart of Dublin, and sees dancers, entertainers and musicians delighting the thousands of festival-goers who attend each year.
St Patrick’s Festival epitomises St Paddy’s Day – music, dancing, celebrations, family entertainment, and most importantly, having a great time.
