10 Places to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland
Every bucket list boasts a trip to Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day. Whether you prefer a night of binging at Dublin’s well-known Temple Bar or a better remembered experience in an intimate, cozy pub of a Gaelic speaking village…the Emerald Isle has it all on offer.
Embellish yourself in green from head to toe and stroll in for pints with the locals. Before long the Guinness will have you shaming yourself in an Irish jig, asking ginger haired ladies if they “fancy a wee bit of craic”…only in Ireland can you ask that without getting slapped.
Living in Belfast a few years, almost every weekend feels like a celebration of the great Saint Patrick. I actually remember a few occasions when my basketball teammates and I slammed pints before a game…need those carbohydrates!
It’s no secret the Irish like their beer and there’s always a party to be had with one of the most hospitable cultures in the world. Chances are you’ll likely get into something weird…if you’re lucky you may run into the Irish version of Weird Al Yankovic. Just be weary of challenging the Irish on their speed of consumption…it won’t end well. I learned from an ill advised bout involving pints of Guinness…safe to say they didn’t stay down the hatchet long.
Aside from the Irish appreciation of pints and laughs, this incredible island is gleaming with history, culture, and amazing beauty. Fly to and from Dublin on Aer Lingus and book some traditional bed and breakfast accommodations along your route. Below is a recommended guide to circumnavigate the island while creating 10 other unforgettable memories during your St. Patrick’s Day rage.
1. Guinness Storehouse
A trip to Ireland isn’t complete without a stop at the country’s most famous brewery. The freshness of the black stuff in Dublin is undebatable. For the same reason that fruit tastes best in a tropical country, a Guinness in Ireland is not like a Guinness anywhere else in the world. Plus, they’ll give you a free one at the end of the tour!!
2. Blarney Castle
Surely there are many things to see in Kilkenny and Waterford, but for the sake of time skip on to Cork. After all, you can’t leave Ireland without kissing the Blarney Stone! Legend has it this intimate moment with a piece of limestone optimizes your individual eloquence. Oh, and the castle is pretty cool too.
3. The Ring of Kerry
Driving in this country can be a challenge. Three of the most notable…you’re positioned on the left side of the road, most cars operate on a manual transmission, and the roads are unforgivingly narrow. With that in mind you may reconsider plans to explore after your festive binging and make the loop before the 17th.
Either way the drive is breathtaking. The infamous Ring of Kerry provides a dramatic landscape of emerald greens, jagged cliffs, and Gaelic speaking villages where time stands still.
4. Cliffs of Moher
Of all my experiences on both sides of Ireland, this is my favorite. I’m willing to guess many people have already seen these majestic “Cliffs of Insanity”, as the landscape was part of The Princess Bride. The views over the Atlantic Ocean will hold you until the pestering rain and wind chase you back to your car.
5. Kylemore Abbey
Heading north from the cliffs, be sure to at least spend a few hours in Galway. The charm of the popular oceanside town will recharge your batteries for the ride through Connemara National Park to a covertly positioned Kylemore Abbey. Built in the late 1800’s, this Benedictine monastery and Victorian walled garden is Ireland’s most memorable estate.
6. Sligo Abbey
History will tighten its embrace as you move from one abbey to the next. Built in 1252 for the Dominicans, the Sligo Abbey ruins still maintain an impressive structure that has survived many centuries of turmoil and damage.
7. Silver Strand Beach
When you think of Ireland most likely a beach doesn’t come to mind, but the Emerald Isle surprisingly has quite a few to enjoy. The Silver Strand Beach is privately enclosed and often desolate…minus the occasional lost sheep that stumble down from the cliffs. Regardless of the temperatures during your St. Patrick’s Day celebration, the beach’s serene setting makes it well worth the visit.
8. Dunluce Castle
Cross the border into Northern Ireland. Along the way don’t miss out on the historic and politically conflicted city of Derry…also officially known as Londonderry. At the very north coast you will be welcomed by the island’s most picturesque medieval castle. Stay for the sunset before heading down the road to the Old Bushmills Distillery. Even if you don’t like whiskey, you have to check it out.
9. The Giant’s Causeway
One of the most unique attractions in the world is The Giant’s Causeway. The legend of the “giant” Finn MacCool can be further understood once you’ve walked the nearly 40,000 basalt column rocks that maintain this marvelous coastline of Northern Ireland. Look across the Irish Sea and you can spot their friendly Scottish neighbors.
10. Belfast
Before traveling south down the Causeway Coastal Route, catch a quick thrill on the Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge. The varying shades of the blue Irish Sea will ease anxiety simultaneously catalyzed by gusty winds destabilizing a 350 year old rope bridge. If you make it out alive, your last stop before catching the flight out of Dublin should be in Belfast. Certainly it can’t be fully experienced in a day or two, but a black cab tour detailing the city’s history and a visit to the new Titanic Museum will wrap up an epic St. Patrick’s Day experience around all of Ireland. Slainte!
