What to do during St Patrick’s day ?

These monuments are now protected from leprechauns ! According to the legend, they cannot see anything green and therefore cannot attack people wearing green clothes.

But let’s face it, we don’t necessarily need to go somewhere extravagant to enjoy the party. Whether you are in London, Liverpool, Manchester or Birmingham, great festivals have been organised for you to have an amazing time ! If you do not live in one of these cities, it could be a nice occasion to hit the road in your motorhome or campervan : there’s nothing nicer than sleeping comfortably in a vehicle designed for it after a long night of drinking (with moderation). If you do not own one, you can have a look there to hire such vehicle!

London :

As you probably know, there is a St Patrick’s Day Parade in London every year, which takes place on Sunday 13th. It will pass Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and onto Whitehall and the atmosphere is usually really nice. But there are also a lot of less conventional things to do in the capital.

For movies lovers, two Irish Film and Animation events will take place at St Patricks Day Festival, featuring Irish and UK co-productions. From films that celebrate the Irish language to others about the LGBTI community, a wide variety of subjects are covered. The screenings will happen on March 13th.

You can also head to Spitalfields City Farm, located in East London to see the Oxford-Cambridge Goat Race, a fundraising event where ticket sales support farm animals. The tickets are fairly cheap and your children will be delighted as the place is friendly and nice. The concept is to gather people around the traditional Oxford & Cambridge rivalry, while they can drink ales and enjoy the atmosphere of that charity run by volunteers.

Liverpool :

On March 17, several thousands of revellers will go out onto the streets, pubs, clubs and other venues of Liverpool to celebrate the famous Saint. A community St Patrick’s Day parade through Vauxhall and Holy Cross will also take place the 17th.

Birmingham :

The city of Birmingham organizes a festival based on donations to celebrate St Patrick’s day. A fundraiser party happened at the end of February, with a lot of concerts and nice bands. As many major UK cities, a parade is held that gathers thousands of onlookers lining up Digbeth High Street. It lasts two hours and offer a great overview of the culture of the town and its citizens.

Manchester :

You surely do not want to miss the highly anticipated Manchester United verses Liverpool Derby on Sunday 20th ! Some pubs will cast the game and a lot of irish people should come over to enjoy it. The city will be green and red this week-end!

If you are not into football, you may enjoy the “Manchester Irish Festival Comedy Night” tomorrow (March 10), an event sponsored by Guinness that will fit every budget as the entrance in solely £5. You can find more information here.

Alternatively, you can watch out for the first St Patrick’s Vintage Car and Tractor Run on Sunday 20. The run starts off in Levenshulme at 1pm and visits the Chorlton Irish Club.The event will be accompanied by live music, and even if tractors are not everyone’s passion, it might be a funny moment!