THE SCHEDULE FOR this year’s St Patrick’s Festival in Dublin has been announced, with outdoor cinemas, street theatre and a treasure hunt set to join the grand festival parade on Friday 17 March.
According to figures provided by the Festival, the annual event attracted over 105,000 visitors from abroad to Dublin in 2016, who spent an average of 8.8 days in Ireland during their trip.
In 2015, they say tourists spent €73 million in Ireland when they came to celebrate St Patrick’s Day.
Running from Thursday 16 to Sunday 19 March, here are some of the events happening around the capital for the St Patrick’s Festival:
Thursday 16 March
Dancing shoes at the ready, as Earlsfort Terrace is transformed into a dance hall from 4.30pm to 7.30pm for a Céilí.
A special screening of Jim Sheridan’s acclaimed film In America will be screened at a special open-air showing in the surroundings of Swords Castle from 7.30pm.
Friday 17 March
This is the main event, as the grand parade kicks off from midday at Parnell Square.
The theme for this year’s parade is “Ireland You Are”, with magical faerie stories, ancient mythical tribes and trailblazing pirates all set to feature, alongside bands from America, France, Germany, Switzerland, the Bahamas and, of course, Ireland.
Saturday 18 March
Around 4,000 people are expected for the treasure hunt at City Hall on Dame Street, which kicks off at 10am and lasts till 1pm.
Marching bands and pop-up choirs will take over St Stephen’s Green in the afternoon, while some of Ireland’s most renowned portrait artists will capture the faces of Irish children at the Ark, Eustace Street in Temple Bar from 10.30am.
Another open-air cinema will show the recent hit film Sing Street at Fingal County Council Civic Offices on Grove Road in Blanchardstown from 7.30pm.
Sunday 19 March
Merrion Square is the main venue today, with a street carnival full of theatre, music, arts, crafts and more.
Budding scientists can embrace the Science Zone and epic story lovers can listen to fantasy storytelling at the Festival Big Day Out from midday to 6pm.
The full programme of events can be found here.
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