| Everyone wants to be Irish on St. Patrick's Day and | | | | of marching bands both from Ireland and all over the |
| it is celebrated all over the world, but there really is | | | | world, colourful floats, Irish dancers, street |
| nowhere to match the excitement, colour and | | | | performers and lots more. The route of about 2.5km |
| atmosphere than in Ireland! On this special day, young | | | | through the city centre was lined with well over half |
| and old, don the green and head to the local St. | | | | a million people and millions tuned it to watch it on |
| Patrick's Day Parade. Parades take place in towns the | | | | TV. |
| length and breadth of the country, while some little | | | | No one knows how to celebrate St. Patrick's Day |
| villages have parades too! The main parades take | | | | quite like the Irish and you only have to venture to |
| place in the larger cities of Cork, Galway, Belfast, | | | | one of the local pubs to find out! Most pubs will have |
| Limerick, Kilkenny and of course, the capital Dublin. | | | | traditional Irish music and dance and like we say in |
| Not only does Dublin boast one of the best St. | | | | Ireland, plenty of "craic agus ceol"! 'Drowning the |
| Patrick's Day Parades in the world, it also hosts a | | | | Shamrock' is an ancient tradition in Ireland on this day. |
| fantastic week long St. Patrick's Festival. This year it | | | | Long ago, our ancestors would take the shamrock |
| will run from Friday 12th to Wednesday 17th of | | | | from their lapel and put it into their final drink of the |
| March. The purse strings have been tightened, but | | | | day and make a toast. They would them remove the |
| we are assured there will be no let-up on the | | | | shamrock from the bottom of the glass and throw it |
| festival's mantra of 'free fun'. | | | | over their shoulder. |
| Although the festival committee are currently | | | | If you are looking for a time to visit Ireland, then |
| working hard to organise and compile the 2010 | | | | come for the St. Patrick's celebrations but be |
| festival events, we only have to look back at the | | | | warned, this is an extremely busy period of the year |
| 2009 festival to get a glimpse of what to expect. | | | | in Ireland, so booking well in advance is essential. |
| The 2009 festival was literally bursting with | | | | Check out flights now and if you need car hire, check |
| entertainment and events. It featured plenty of | | | | it out now too as the earlier you book these the |
| street entertainment, comedy, a huge treasure hunt, | | | | cheaper they should be. |
| lots of Irish music, singing and dancing and of course | | | | Accommodation is in high demand this time of the |
| the spectacular St. Patrick's Day Parade. | | | | year and especially where the larger parades will be |
| The St. Patrick's Day Parade is without doubt, the | | | | taking place. We highly recommend you book your |
| highlight of the festival. It usually starts at Parnell | | | | accommodation now as if you leave it too late you |
| Square, continues down O'Connell Street, onto | | | | may be disappointed. |
| College Green and Dame Street. It features a variety | | | | |
