St Patrick’s Day is celebrated every March and draws people from all over the world to the Emerald Isle. While parties in American cities with significant Irish populations, such as Boston and New York, can be a little rowdier, nothing beats celebrating St Patrick in his homeland.
However, as with all popular events, St Patrick’s Day is a hectic time in the capital of Dublin, and other big Irish cities, so it’s worth doing some planning. St Patrick’s Day itself is now the culmination of a four-day festival that takes over most of the city of Dublin for a long weekend.
A Bit of Background
One thing to understand is that the Irish don’t call it St Patty’s day. That’s an Americanism that has started creeping into British culture through Hollywood movies and TV shows. It’s St Paddy’s day or St Patrick’s Day. Also, if you’re going to celebrate it in Dublin, please book your accommodation as far in advance as you can.
More people want to spend St Patrick’s Day in the city than it can comfortably accommodate, and those who leave their plans to the last minute are often disappointed.
Other Options
Of course, you don’t have to spend the day in Dublin or a big city. Often, you’ll have the most fun celebrating St Patrick’s Day (or any other local festival) in a smaller town with a bunch of locals.
St Paddy’s Day festivities in Dublin are, inevitably geared up for tourists as much as locals. Spend the time in a small town and head to the pub to get a much more authentic feel of what St Patrick’s day means to the Irish.
However, you choose to celebrate the day, rest assured that spending it in Ireland will make for a fun and memorable experience, that you’ll treasure for years to come.
