Partying on St. Paddy’s Day in Dublin

Sample St. Paddy’s cocktail from San Lorenzo’s

First things first, when you party with the locals on St. Patrick’s day in Ireland you’ll at least want to have some knowledge on why they have this enormous festival to begin with. From the parade to the green beer, one must wonder why all of these people go insane on March 17th.

St. Patrick was said to have been born in Roman Britain and snatched by Irish pirates at the age of 14 and held captive while being forced to herd and tend to the sheep. He escaped around 6 years later while in his early 20s and boarded a ship bound for Britain and arrived not far from where his parents lived. He then studied to become a priest and following his calling, went back to Ireland bringing Christianity along with him. He taught the word of God to Ireland for many years and although he was not born Irish nor was he the FIRST to bring Christianity to Ireland, he did banish Paganism, rid Ireland of all the snakes, and revived hope in many lives. The shamrock comes into play because it is told he used it to describe the Holy Trinity; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The part of this party that most misinterpret is that it wasn’t always about slurping down numerous ice cold beers and neither did this certain tradition come from Ireland! At the start, locals would gather and host a feast on March 17th of every year because that of course is when St. Patrick passed away but they wouldn’t rage the night away in a boozy blur. Here comes the other twist, or lack there of, it was Irish-Americans that turned this holiday into the lager chugging, stumbling party we all know and love today. The difference of celebrating it in the home town is this: the passion, love, and desire these people have to show their appreciation for this Saint and being there in the heart of it all, feeling all of these emotions, there is nothing else like it and I truly believe everyone should experience this at least once.

Let’s get down to what we recommend doing if you happen to be in Ireland on this glorious day.

Get up early

Yes, as you know the early bird gets the worm and this applies to this situation indefinitely. We set our alarm for six, hit snooze multiple times, and rolled out of bed around 6:45 a.m. Then we sped through the grueling process of getting ready with impressive velocity. Ready for the next step.

Plan your day the night before

Your best bet is asking the locals where their favorite place to celebrate is and don’t forget to include the most important question: Where is the best place to see the parade? Now when it came to this we got lucky since the first person we asked happened to be a wee bit older and has lived in Dublin for the entirety of his life. His suggestion was the Gresham Hotel and we cannot thank him enough for pointing us that way. The parade starts on Parnell street and makes it’s way down O’Connell’s street for the duration of 2 to 2 1/2 hours. The hotel happens to be located in the perfect spot  just a few streets down from where the parade is assembled. It starts around Noonish, so if you grab a seat at the Gresham next to the enormous window you can consider yourself one lucky duck. This is the reason why you must get moving early since this place fills up fast.

Our view from the Gresham Hotel window.

Relax, Drink, and Enjoy

Since most times it rains in Dublin on St. Paddy’s Day it really does pay off to have this seat inside with the warm, welcoming locals that make you feel right at home. You can order drinks and view the parade in all of its glory right outside the Gresham. Watching the crowd gather in their green outfits, buzzing with deliciously infectious excitement while awaiting the gorgeous parade of unique floats and colors is, in my opinion, the most wonderful part of the experience. Don’t be afraid to order from the lunch menu in the hotel as well because it has delightful options on the menu.

Have a Blast

This is the most important section! No matter who your with be it your family, spouse, or a group of friend just let loose and absorb all of your surroundings with a big toothy grin. Take lots of pictures and if it isn’t too stormy outside for your liking, leave the hotel and join the crowd watching the parade. Bar hop, chat it up with your new found Irish friends, and be safe! Cheers!