St Patricks Day kicks off right at the heart of the city: Dublin 7
The Festival Quarter returned to Collins Barracks this year where the craic was found all day on the 16th and 17th of March. After last year’s festivities, the St. Patrick’s Festival Quarter at the National Museum of Ireland came back with a bang with two days of back-to-back events from day to night– which certainly did not disappoint. The quarter included the huge Main Stage and a bunch of performance stages that hosted acts all weekend.
On the eve of the big day, the 16th of March, the festival quarter was free entry to all ages from 12pm to 5pm; from 12:30 that evening there was a variety of performances like circus cabaret, a science show, a showcase of culture from Bollywood Ireland and even a a song or two from Rathfarnham Ukelele Orchestra. In the evening Cultúr Club took over three stages to give a night of live music, queer performance and art; the acts ranged from drag performances, live music, DJ sets, dance and storytelling from the very best talents of the Irish LGBTQ+ community.
The event was 18+ and required tickets on entry; following the event in the National Museum, the festivities continued and the Cultúr Club Afterparty in Lost Lane hosted by Queer nightclub Mother, was the buzz with DJ sets from Rocky T Delgado and Kelly-Anne Byrne in the main room and Billy Bunzari in the library.
For the all the foodies there were loads of food vendors and a new food experience curated by Irish food writer Ali Dunworth – Bia Mall. Bia Mall included the best of what Irish food has to offer – from traditional to innovative, all the stalls had a taste of different Irish cuisine. Some of the stalls that attended were Braw Chocolates & Bakery, Chimac and Valentia Island Vermouth.
The iconic St. Patricks Day Parade kicked off in Parnell Square running down O’Connell Street over O’Connell Bridge and finally down through the south of the city. The parade was an explosion of culture and talent; the many marching bands, which included bands from all over America and the world, made for an amazingly traditional soundtrack to the day. The parade’s theme this year was ‘Spréach’, the Irish word for Spark; the parade which had over 4,000 participants captured just this. The extravagant floats were full of colour and fun and the dancers were a treat to watch from they started to when the parade concluded. There were two grandstands at Christchurch Cathedral and St. Patricks Cathedral in the Liberties, where patrons of the event enjoyed the show with a fabulous view.
For the tattoo lovers that were looking for some Paddy’s Day fun, The Liberty Ink celebrated the big day for the third year in a row. A day full of games, music and tattoos, the tattoo studio was inviting people to join in the fun and even win a free tattoo in their tattoo raffle.
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