If you’ve just landed on our fair green isle céad mile fáilte (a hundred thousand welcomes). You couldn’t have picked a better time to visit. The whole country is gearing up for the biggest celebration of the year - St. Patrick’s Day.

As Saints go, they don’t get much bigger. He’s the iconic figure millions of green-gilded pilgrims honour every March 17 with parties, parades and a fair few pints.
 
And you played a blinder choosing Dublin as your celebratory location. New York may have the glamour, Chicago the green river and Sydney the sunshine, but you can’t beat Ireland's capital city for sheer spirit and unadulterated revelry.
 
This year’s iconic event , Fri 12 - Wed 17 March, takes over a salient selection of the city's streets and squares. To find out what's on where, here’s our handy guide to the greenest show in town. More information will be available as the event draws closer, so keep checking www.stpatricksfestival.ie for updates. Shamrocks on stand-by for the St. Patrick’s Day of your life.


Festival Highlights

Sat 13 March: The Treasure Hunt
There’s nothing like a bit of mystery, so get your thinking-caps and runners on for this fun-filled way to see the city. Follow the clues throughout Dublin’s favourite cultural venues and become the fastest tourist in the city to claim your prize. Registration at Dublin City Hall 10:00 – 13:00, or go online to beat the queues.

Sun 14 March: Big Day Out
Clowns, street performers, music and acrobat invade Merrion Square with a day out for all the family. Entrance is free.

Tues 16 March: Céilí
A céilí, for the uninitiated, is a traditional dance in Ireland. There are plenty of group dances such as The Siege of Ennis or The Walls of Limerick, and this is your chance to be part of the country’s largest outdoor céilí at St. Stephen's Green. Dance instructors, and no doubt a local or two, will be on hand to help get you in the swing of things (literally).

Wed 17 March: ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE
It’s apt that this year’s parade should take its inspiration from the theme Extraordinary World, as each year the city is flooded with local and international talent. In the past 15 years the Dublin parade has become a smorgasbord of floats, marching bands, papier-mâché art and performers from all over the world.

The VIP Grand Marshall will lead this spectacular street procession, as tens of thousands of goggle-eyed partygoers - many of them a vision in emerald green -soak up this fabulous carnival atmosphere. On St. Patrick’s Day, Dublin's Lord Mayor (Councillor Emer Costello) is the city’s first citizen, outranking the Taoiseach (Brian Cowen) - usually in the USA, and the President (Mary McAleese). Both the President and the Lord Mayor will be watching the parade from O'Connell Street's VIP Grandstand opposite the GPO If you're early enough to get a nearby standing spot, give them a wave from your kerbside perch. Or apply now for a €60 ticket and you, too, can enjoy the comfy surroundings of key grandstand vantage points.


PARADE ROUTE
The parade leaves Parnell Square North at 12:00 and snakes its way along O’Connell Street and across the River Liffey. It then turns right at Trinity College and shimmies along Dame Street - past the City Hall and Christ Church Cathedral - before turning left onto Nicholas St and culminating at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Get there early to secure a space. And check ahead for info on designated coach and car-parking places to ensure you beat the traffic.

As part of the festival Gaelspraoi events will be run throughout the city. These Irish language workshops, cabarets and céilí promote the Irish language and provide the unique opportunity to experience the festivities in Irish.
 
For more details visit the official Festival website at www.stpatricksday.ie or tel:(+353) (0)1 676 3205. And don’t forget to check the city’s cultural venues for big name performances and inspired events in town over the St. Patrick’s weekend.