St Patrick’s Day is an essential epoch in the Irish cultural calendar. Following two years where the sole medium to showcase those oversized shamrock glasses was Zoom, the return to in-person events this Thursday is set to be momentous. And on the day that everyone wants to be Irish, what better place to be than the country’s capital city? So, whether you are more interested in the artistic side of the Festival, wish to lounge in the “mini heatwave” that is predicted for Thursday, or simply want to have a boogie with your friends, here is your Radius guide to the Festival’s events.
Irish Food & Craft Village
A delicious range of Irish cooking is being offered from morning till evening at the Festival quarter of the National Museum. The ticketless event will host a “food truck community” featuring sumptuous delights from popular Irish eateries such as Lala Poutine, Bad Boys BBQ, Fire and Food, The Brew Crew Café. The food trucks will be joined by a range of craft stalls showcasing designs and unique gifts crafted by Irish sellers. Beverages will also be available to enjoy. Furthermore, you can enjoy your food and drink whilst listening to the live entertainment and DJs from the Festival Quarter bandstand.
The village will run from March 16th to 20th with no tickets required.
Green Roots Project Art Exhibition
The Green Roots Project is centred around the belief that Ireland is uniquely placed to be a leader in the sustainability movement. The movement encourages institutions to engage more actively with environmental issues. This Paddy’s weekend, the project is teaming up with EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, to host a special Art Exhibition focusing on Ireland and climate change. The “40 Shades of Green” poster exhibition will be on display in the CHQ Building at Dublin’s Docklands. Work displayed will be in response to the question: “In these days of Climate Crisis, what does it really mean to be Green in Ireland?”
The exhibition is free to view and will be on display at EPIC in the Chq Building in Dublin from March 17th to 20th at 10am-7pm .
Mango X MathMan feat Trinity Orchestra, Malaki, Adam Mohamed
On March 18th, the National Museum will house some of the most exciting current names in the Irish art and music scene. The evening will feature a stunning meld of musical talent with performances from hip hop and rave duo Mango X MathMan, the Trinity Orchestra, rap star Malaki, and spoken word poet and artist Adam Mohamed. Opening the night, Mango X MathMan offers a dive into the world of rave with their energetic, hiphouse style. The duo is rapidly becoming one of Ireland’s top hip hop names – their single “Deep Blue” was voted the number one song of 2019 by the Irish Times. Performing alongside the duo, Malaki is one of Ireland’s most prolific and fast-rising rappers, making the night an impressive showcase of Irish stars.
The show will be held at Spiegeltent Mór @ Festival Quarter and Doors will open at 7pm. Tickets are €10
Breathe Festival
Breathe is a series of community based mini festivals focused on wellness and resilience for individuals, communities and the planet using renewable power. The movement aims to place a coherent focus on community led climate action. The festival will launch this Thursday and will feature group yoga, fitness and meditation sessions with local instructors and facilitators. Talks and discussions, featuring other wellness based initiatives such as The Happy Pear and Friends of the Earth, will also be held.
The festival will take place at The Law Society, Blackhall Place, Dublin 7on March 18-19th from 10am. More information can be found here.
National Parade
Last but not least, the streets of Dublin will be electrified as the highly anticipated national St Patrick’s Day parade will return to the streets of Dublin this Thursday at 12pm. Winding its way through the streets of Dublin, from Parnell Square to the Kevin St Junction, the parade will feature hundreds of Ireland’s most dynamic and innovative performers, musicians, designers, choreographers, pageant engineers, artists and theatre- makers. The festival organisers have declared it as “Ireland’s most ambitious street parade ever, in creativity, scale, length and participant numbers” so it is an event that is not to be missed.
No tickets are required to attend the parade.
