St Patrick’s Day festivals in Ireland
St Patrick’s Festival Dublin
It’s back! And it’s better than ever! The St Patrick’s Festival returns to the streets of Dublin city centre in spectacular fashion to celebrate the patron saint of Ireland.
Get ready to enjoy one of the biggest, boldest parades ever, as well as a lively Festival Quarter, where you’ll find something for everyone. Expect live music acts, amazing food and drink, storytelling sessions and more.
Across the city, you’ll find many St Patrick’s Festival-supported events, from theatre pieces and acrobats to walking tours and art exhibitions as part of its One City Festival Programme.
Home of St Patrick Festival
Where better to celebrate Ireland’s patron saint than the very place he called home? Armagh and Down are where Patrick founded his first churches way back in the 5th century. And it’s here that the Home of St Patrick Festival takes place, with a lively showcase of the best culture, music, song and dance from Northern Ireland.
Highlights this year include music from the likes of Phil Coulter and Sandy Kelly, an Aran knitting workshop, film screenings, and a wide range of events about St Patrick himself – including walking tours, lectures, and a St Patrick’s stained glass workshop.
Celebrations around Ireland
Cork
The “Rebel City” puts on a vibrant show with a parade, live trad and folk music from the Lee Sessions, food trails, craft and design markets and a celebration of Cork’s past with a fun look at its history.
Derry~Londonderry
Spring is in the air in Derry~Londonderry as they celebrate St Patrick with a colourful programme of events including a Spring Carnival parade. You can also expect live music, food stalls, a traditional céilí and more across multiple venues around the city.
Killarney
Killarney is abuzz leading up to St Patrick’s Day and visitors from around the world get to enjoy the festivities including; candlelight concerts, boat tours, storytellers and of course, the big parade.
Waterford
Home of the very first St Patrick's Day parade back in 1903, Waterford city celebrates Ireland’s patron saint with its themed St Patrick’s Festival featuring dancers, storytellers and poets. And don’t miss out on the exciting parade in this Viking city!
Kilkenny
The medieval city of Kilkenny comes alive during the four-day St Patrick’s Festival, which takes place alongside the Kilkenny Tradfest music festival. Expect everything from a spectacular parade to traditional music and dancing workshops with the Kilfenora Ceílí band.
Enniskillen
County Fermanagh’s island town celebrates St Patrick’s Day with a unique blend of land and water-based activities including a traditional parade featuring vintage vehicles, community groups and lots of music and dancing.
Belfast
There are over seven days of St Patrick’s activities happening in Belfast, including céilís, film screenings and a trad trail. The parade on March 17 celebrates “People, Place and Planet” with dance groups, musicians and more.
Limerick
The traditional St Patrick’s celebrations feature a parade, spectacular concerts, city centre animation events and the Limerick International Band Championship where 20 bands and over 1,000 musicians will perform on Monday 18th March – don’t miss it!
Sligo
Ceoil and craic (music and fun) are on the menu at Sligo’s St Patrick’s Festival as the town tells the world what’s great about this Wild Atlantic Way wonder. Expect a traditional Irish music trail, historic walks, a parade and incredible performances at Queen Maeve Square.