St Patrick’s Day

Every St Patrick’s Day, communities from Belfast to Cork on this national holiday showcase their Irish pride and celebrate the patron saint of Ireland through a range of events, bringing the world together to experience that famous Irish spirit.

St Patrick’s Festival returns to the streets of Dublin in spectacular fashion, with its biggest parade ever, as well as across the city from the 15th – 18th March.

Meanwhile in Armagh, the Home of St Patrick’s Festival celebrates the saint’s roots in Northern Ireland with a lively online programme of culture, comedy, music and dance.

No matter where you are, St Patrick’s Day is a time to don some green clothing, dust off your festive spirit and prepare to fill your heart with Ireland!

Do it your way

From putting on your own traditional music show to trying your hand at some classic Irish recipes – here’s how you can experience Irish culture and heritage on St Patrick’s Day like a local.

Behind the myth

The story of St Patrick has captivated the world. As a boy, he was captured from either Wales or Scotland and sent to Slemish Mountain in County Antrim as a slave. He tended sheep on this quiet mountainside before escaping home, where he had a vision telling him to return to Ireland and spread the message of Christianity.

Patrick left his mark on the island of Ireland, from the iconic Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary to the breathtaking peak of County Mayo’s Croagh Patrick, a site of pilgrimage for many. But it’s in the counties of Armagh and Down in Northern Ireland where his legacy is strongest: at tiny Saul Church, built on the site of Patrick’s first church in Ireland, in the city of Armagh where two cathedrals are dedicated to him, and in Down Cathedral, where he was finally laid to rest.