Celebrating St Patrick’s Day in Dublin had been on my bucket list for YEARS. So, we planned our circumnavigating-Ireland trip to end in Dublin on St Patrick’s Day. If it is on your list also, here is a guide to celebrating St Patrick’s Day in Dublin! Here you’ll find:
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What Should you Expect on St patrick’s Day in Dublin?
I don’t know when or how, but St Patrick’s Day has turned into one of the most fun holidays in the United States. Cities and small towns alike decorate for St Patrick’s Day and have green beer specials.
So how does St Patrick’s Day in Dublin hold up to the hype surrounding the holiday in the US? (is that just a US thing??)
It’s better by far. Though other places can throw a party and celebrate with the best of them, it isn’t the same as being ENGROSSED in the Irish culture. Having a Guiness with a band playing in an Irish pub in Ireland (anywhere in the country I’m sure) is just unparallelled.
- P.S. Don’t expect green beer in Ireland. First off, most people have Guiness, which obviously can’t be turned green. But also don’t expect the light beer to be turned green either. Thats definitely just an American thing 🙂
Also, it should probably go without saying, you should expect crowds.
- The parade is a bit crowded, the streets are crowded, the restaurants and bars are crowded.
- But the city is full of people having a blast, all enjoying themselves by celebrating the same thing. The crowds are worth it.
St Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin
If there is one St Patrick’s Day activity you need to attend, its the parade. It won’t take too much of the day but its the one activity everyone gets together to attend.
- Don’t think “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.” Think more “hometown Christmas Parade.”
- The floats are intricate and detailed, yet small, and most are pulled or pushed on a trailer by hand. However, the crowd and the engagement make for a great experience!
- The parade is free to attend
- It starts at noon on Parnell Square.
- Per Dublin.info, the parade then goes “down O’Connell Street, past Trinity College at College Green and on to Dame Street before it finishes at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.”
- Prepare for the parade to last about 2 hours
Best thing to do on St Patrick’s Day in Dublin? Pub Crawl!
What do you do after the parade? Pub crawl! Sure, it’ll be kind of mid-day, but you won’t be the only one flocking to the pubs at an early time! Things to know about the pubs:
- They will be crowded
- The best way to get beer quickly is to have CASH
- If you want 4 Guinness’s, ask for “4 pints Guinness,” not “4 Guinness’s!” A recommendation given to my husband by a local and he can never forget it now 🙂 Whoops!
- If you find a pub with seating and great music, stay a while!
- However, there are so many pubs in Dublin, so hop around and see multiple!
Enjoy the Nightlife
There is a chance your pub crawl will crawl in to the night 🙂 The festivities seemed to last for hours!
- Although the nightlife might be more prominent if St Patrick’s Day falls on a Saturday, there will still be a good nightlife to celebrate the holiday on any day of the week.
- When we attended in 2019, St Patrick’s Day fell on a Sunday, and though many people celebrated on Saturday night, there was still a lot going on on Sunday night
My recommendation: move on to a pub that is lesser known. Rule of thumb: the further from Temple Bar, the less crowds. There is no shortage of pubs with live music and dancing, so don’t settle for a pub where you are standing shoulder-to-shoulder and can’t get a drink! No matter the pub, you will easily find a good time in Dublin on St Patrick’s Day!
Accommodations
I recommend booking accommodations earlier rather than later if you are preparing to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in Dublin.
- Learning the lesson the hard way, waiting too long leads to minimal housing options and increased prices!
- DEFINITELY book something in walking distance. Traffic is nuts and roads will close for the parade.
- We found an apartment rental for the best price due to increased pricing of the hotels. However, look around, because the cheapest option can change.
Click here for more tips on booking accommodations!
Transportation
Don’t expect to do any driving on St Patrick’s Day! Many of the roads are blocked off and the ones that aren’t have a lot of foot traffic. Driving is not necessary.
Tip: If you are renting a car to visit other parts of Ireland, return the rental the night prior to St Patrick’s Day to avoid having to drive through the crowd to get the car back.
Once you are in Dublin, everything will be quite accessible by walking, so wear comfy shoes and get your steps in!
Tips to Make Your Life Easier when planning this trip
- You will have to be a little more ahead of the game when planning your Ireland trip if it is revolving around St Patrick’s Day.
- Rooms will book up and be more expensive the longer you wait.
- Be mindful of the day of the week St Patrick’s day falls on.
- It landed on a Sunday when we went and did not realize a lot of the nightlife celebrations would be taking place on Saturday night.
- Don’t book your return flight home the morning after if you plan to take the pub crawl advice 😅 Learned this one the hard way!
- If you are wanting to do a Guinness Tour and will be in Dublin during St Patrick’s Day, BOOK AHEAD!
- We tried to book tickets the week of our trip and they were sold out!
St Patrick’s Day in Dublin Recap!
Wow! Ireland is a spectacular country in itself. Listening to a live, Irish band in a pub at ANY time is a great time. But there is just something about being in Ireland on St Patrick’s Day. It is just fun and carefree and one of my favorite memories!
Looking for more info on what else to see while you are in Ireland? Click here for an 8-Day itinerary circumnavigating Ireland!