Saint Patrick's Day

Saint Patrick's Day

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  1. 432Saint Patrick returns to Ireland as a missionary bishop
  2. 1916Easter Rising in Dublin — beginning of the Irish independence movement
  3. 1949Republic of Ireland Act — Ireland becomes a republic

Why Ireland celebrates 17 March

Ireland celebrates St Patrick's Day on 17 March — the feast day of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, who died around 460 AD. Patrick was a Romano-British Christian missionary who spent 28 years in Ireland and is credited with bringing Christianity to the country. His feast day became Ireland's national holiday — combining religious observance with national pride.

St Patrick's Day has been observed as a religious feast day in Ireland since the 9th or 10th century. But it became a civic and national celebration in the 20th century, particularly after Irish independence in 1922. The holiday also carries special significance as a celebration of Irish culture and heritage for the vast Irish diaspora around the world — estimated at 80 million people of Irish ancestry globally.

The St Patrick's Festival in Dublin is a five-day event centred on the 17 March parade. Dublin's parade is watched by over half a million people. Around the world — in New York, Boston, Chicago, Sydney and Buenos Aires — cities with large Irish communities hold their own parades. Chicago dyes its river green each year. Green is the colour of Ireland, of the shamrock Saint Patrick used to explain the Trinity, and of the holiday itself.

  1. 202617 March 2026 · Tuesday
  2. 202717 March 2027 · Wednesday
  3. 202817 March 2028 · Friday
The Irish flag
Ireland flag

The Irish tricolour has three equal vertical bands of green, white and orange. Green represents the Catholic and Gaelic tradition, orange represents the Protestant tradition and the supporters of William of Orange, and white in the middle symbolises peace and hope for unity between the two traditions. The flag was first used in 1848.

Irish food has been transformed in recent decades — from a reputation for plain potato dishes to a thriving food scene celebrating superb dairy, grass-fed beef, fresh Atlantic seafood and artisan produce. St Patrick's Day calls for the traditional dishes.

What to eat

Irish stewSlow-simmered lamb with potato, carrot and onion — the quintessential Irish comfort dish.
Soda breadDense, slightly sweet bread leavened with bicarbonate of soda — made daily in Irish households.
Full Irish breakfastRashers, sausages, black and white pudding, eggs, grilled tomato and brown bread — the definitive morning feast.
Corned beef and cabbageCured beef brisket with boiled cabbage and potatoes — more Irish-American than Irish, but iconic on St Patrick's Day.
ColcannonMashed potato with kale or cabbage and butter — eaten especially at Halloween and St Patrick's Day.
BarmbrackSpiced fruit loaf with dried fruit soaked in tea — baked for festivals and celebrations.

What to drink

GuinnessDublin's famous dark stout — the pint of Guinness is synonymous with St Patrick's Day worldwide.
Irish whiskeySmooth, triple-distilled grain and malt whiskey — Jameson, Bushmills and Redbreast are the leading names.
Irish coffeeHot coffee with Irish whiskey, brown sugar and a layer of lightly whipped cream on top.
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Ireland culture

Irish culture is shaped by the Celtic heritage, the Catholic Church, the English language and the trauma of the Famine. Literature, music, storytelling and pub culture are Ireland's great cultural contributions — Yeats, Joyce, Beckett and Heaney all came from this small island.

St Patrick's Day paradeDublin's parade fills the city centre — marching bands, street performers and half a million spectators.
Traditional musicIrish trad sessions — fiddle, tin whistle, uilleann pipes and bodhrán — played live in pubs every night.
Cliffs of MoherThe dramatic 214-metre Atlantic cliffs on the west coast — one of Ireland's most visited landmarks.
Literary DublinDublin has more Nobel Prize winners for literature per capita than any other city — Joyce, Beckett and Yeats all lived here.