St Patrick’s Festival this year will be marked by a host of events abroad as well as at home.
Special festivities will be held in Moscow, Beijing, London, New York and Paris to commemorate St Patrick's Day with parades as well as other musical and cultural events.
Minister for the Arts Jimmy Deenihan has launched the worldwide programme of events, aiming to promote Irish culture abroad. “This time of year, when there is a global focus on all things Irish, offers a real opportunity to highlight our creative talent and our artistic reputation on the world stage,” said Mr Deenihan.
Tourism Ireland announced yesterday that the Leaning Tower of Pisa will be among a number of other well-known sites that will be turning green for St Patrick's Day. Niagara Falls, the London Eye, Burj al Arab in Dubai and Table Mountain in South Africa would all be illuminated green as part of the international spectacle on March 17th.
San Francisco’s Coit Tower and City Hall, Selfridges department store in London, the Cibeles fountain in Madrid, Vienna’s Burgtheater, the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw, and Moraira, a town on the Costa Blanca in Spain, have also come onboard.
In addition, Brussels Town Hall, the Glasgow Eye and the Clyde Auditorium - affectionately known as “the Armadillo” in Glasgow - will also turn green for the day on Saturday.
For those in Ireland, there’s no need to upend your wallet for good craic this weekend; the country is abuzz with free events to celebrate St. Patrick’s Festival.
The festival will see a slew of events kicking off on Friday, March 15th and running through Monday, March 19th. Dublin’s festival has grown so large that it now takes 18 months to plan the four day celebration of Irish culture.
Football great John Giles will be leading Dublin’s St Patrick’s Day Parade down O’Connell Street this Saturday. This year’s theme of “How? What? Why?” reflects Dublin’s position as a City of Science 2012.
What's on at home
Dublin
Friday, March 16
Fun Fairs
Where: Merrion Square West
When: 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
Where: Wolfe Tone Park
When: 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
Festival Ceili
Where: St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2
Time: 4:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Designers and Craftsmen's Creative Quarter
Where: S. Williams Street
When: 6:00 pm
Band performance
Where: Stephen's Green Bandstand
When: 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Band and Street Performances
Where: Bands, at Coppinger Row, South King St., Dame Court; Street performances at Grafton St. and South King St.
When: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Saturday, March 17
Fun Fairs
Where: Merrion Square West
When: 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
Where: Wolfe Tone Park
When: 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
Where: Custom House Quay
When: 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
St. Patrick's Festival Parade
Where: City Centre, beginning at Parnell Square
When: 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
The parade will continue down O'Connell Street from Parnell Square, travel over O'Connell Bridge to Westmoreland Street. It will then makes its way down Dame Street and Lord Edward Street, past Christchurch Cathedral, along Patrick Street, to finish past St. Patrick's Cathedral.
Band and Street Performances
Where: Bands, at Coppinger Row, South King St., Dame Court; Street performances at Grafton St. and South King St.
When: 3:30 pm – 6:00 pm
Trad Stage
Where: Meeting House Square, Temple Bar
When: 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Sunday, March 18
Fun Fairs
Where: Merrion Square West
When: 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
Where: Wolfe Tone Park
When: 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
Where: Custom House Quay
When: 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
Big Day Out
Where: Merrion Square
When: 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
St. Patrick's Festival 5km Road Race
Where: Begins at the Mansion House on Dawson Street, route through Georgian Dublin, ending back at the Mansion House
Time: 12:00 pm
Monday, March 19
Dublin University Boat Races
Where: O'Connell Bridge to St. James' Gate Brewery
When: 8:30am The Moorhead Trophy - Novice Women
9:00am The Dan Quinn Perpetual Shield - Novice Men
9:30am The Corcoran Cup - Senior Women
10:00am The Gannon Cup - Senior Men
Fun Fairs
Where: Merrion Square West
When: 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
Where: Wolfe Tone Park
When: 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
Where: Custom House Quay
When: 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Discovering Science Treasure Hunt
Where: City Hall, Dame St.
When: Registration 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Limerick
Friday, March 16
Trad Trail
Where & When: See www.limerick.ie for details
Family fun, buskers & music
Where: The Milk Market
When: 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Saturday, March 17
St. Patrick's Day Parade
Where: O'Connell Ave. to Island Road
When: 12:00 pm
Irish Myths and Legends, Music, Arts & Crafts
Where: Hunt Museum
When: 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
St. Patrick's Festival Club
Where: Limerick Strand Hotel
When: 7:00 pm
Family fun, buskers & music
Where: The Milk Market
When: 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Trad Trail
Where & When: See www.limerick.ie for details
Sunday, March 18
International Band Championship
Where: O'Connell Ave. – Merchants Quay
When: 12:00 pm
Family fun, buskers & music
Where: The Milk Market
When: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Trad Trail
Where & When: See www.limerick.ie for details
Galway City
Thursday, March 15
Notre Dame "Fighting Irish" Marching Band
Where: Starts at Eyre Square, finishes at High Street
When: 6:30 pm
International Print Exhibition
Where: Galway City Hall
When: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Friday, March 16
Latin Quarter St. Patrick's Weekend Trad Trail
Where: Tig Coili, Taaffes Bar, Spanish Arch Hotel, Kellys Bar, The Quays Bar, The Kings Head
When: See http://stpatricksgalway.com for details.
International Print Exhibition
Where: Galway City Hall
When: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Saturday, March 17
St. Patrick's Day Parade
Where: Starting at Lower Dominick Street, the parade route will travel over O'Briens Bridge, up Shop Street, onto Eyre Square and finish in front of the Galway County Council Buildings.
When: 11:30 am
International Print Exhibition
Where: Galway City Hall
When: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Sunday, March 18
Latin Quarter St. Patrick's Weekend Trad Trail
Where: Tig Coili, Taaffes Bar, Spanish Arch Hotel, Kellys Bar, The Quays Bar, The Kings Head
When: See http://stpatricksgalway.com for details.
International Print Exhibition
Where: Galway City Hall
When: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Cork City
Saturday, March 17
St. Patrick's Day Parade
Where: Starting South Mall at Parnell Place, up Grand Parade and St. Patrick's Street and end at Merchant's Quay.
When: 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Barry's Tea Market
Where: Grand Parade and Boardwalk South Mall
When: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Living Social Music Stage
Featuring: Comhaltas, Meascáin and Death by Chocolate
Where: Grand Parade and Boardwalk South Mall
When: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
The Lee Sessions
Where: The Oliver Plunkett on Oliver Plunkett St.
When: 2:00 pm to close
Where: Coughlan's on Douglas St
When: 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Where: The Rock Bar on Gillabbey St.
When: 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Sunday, March 18
Barry's Tea Market
Where: St Patrick's St.
When: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Living Social Music Stage
Featuring: Tórann, The Céilí Allstars and Gypsy Six
Where: St Patrick's St.
When: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Monday, March 19
Barry's Tea Market
Where: St Patrick's St.
When: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Living Social Music Stage
Featuring: The Dustbusters Orchestra, The Backwater Band and Two Time Polka
Where: St Patrick's St.
When: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Belfast
Saturday, March 17
Carnival Parade
Where: Starting at Belfast City Hall, continuing down Chichester St., up Victoria St., and ending at Custom House Square
When: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Music Stage
Featuring: Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Sophie Habibis, Pure Blarney, The Royal Tara School of Irish Dance, Bright Lights, Shake, and Ashelin
Where: Custom House Square
When: 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
What’s On Abroad
Russia
Irish street spectacle performers Macnas will join the parade and festival in Moscow, while the Moscow Irish Film Festival will celebrate its fifth year with Irish features, documentaries and short films, including The Pier, Kisses, Death of a Superhero and One Hundred Mornings.
China
Members of the Royal Irish Academy of Music are set to perform chamber music concerts in Beijing and Shanghai, and Ciorras, a traditional music group, will perform in Beijing. The two cities will also host a number of collaborative Irish/Chinese multi-media art exhibitions.
France
The Irish Cultural Centre in Paris will feature a special season of events, to include film, literature, visual arts and music.
United States
The Irish Arts Centre in New York will be the focal point of a number of event, and a a concert will showcase the work of Edel Bhreathnach, Moya Brennan & Cormac de Barra at the American Irish Historical Society on Fifth Avenue.
England
London’s St Patrick’s Day parade will be joined by spectacle specialists Bui Bolg and Artastic. By night, Londoners will have the chance to take in popular and traditional Irish music featuring Gemma Hayes and The High Kings at Trafalgar Square.