March
St
Patrick's Day
1070 Irish Pubs, Roots, Dancing & Culture
March 17, or
Saint Patrick's
Day, has become a huge celebration in the Republic of Ireland
and the city of Dublin has now extended the festivities to cover
a full week. The feast day celebrates the life of the man who brought
Catholicism to Ireland but is much more than simply a religious
festival - as the Irish Tourism Board put it - Saint Patrick's Day
is the day everybody wants to be Irish!
The tradition
of parades and wild celebration did not originate in Ireland. The
first St. Patrick's Day celebration was held by the Charitable Irish
Society of Boston, America in 1737. Today festive parades are held
all over the world and in Dublin you can expect packed programmes
of events including street theatre, fireworks, music, and exhibitions.
April
Pan Celtic Festival
Kilkenny
Email: panceltic@eircom.net
Pan Celtic Festival
began in Killarney in 1971 when it aimed to foster better relations
between the Celtic nations of Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, the Isle
of Mann, Cornwall and Wales. Today it has grown to a fully fledged
celebration of Celtic culture with parades, music, dancing and sports.
May
Fleadh Nua
Fleadh Nua Information Centre
c/o Ennis Chamber of Commerce
54 O'Connell Street
Ennis
County Clare
Tel: +353 65 684 2988
Fax: +353 65 682 4783
Email: ceoltrad@fleadhnua.com
WebSite:
Fleadh Nua
The Fleadh Nua
Festival brings together concerts, céilithe, music, song
and dancing workshops, and each year thousands of people in search
of traditional entertainment attend.
August
Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival
Website: Lisdoonvarna
Matchmaking Festival
A
festival with a long history, the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival
is Ireland's biggest singles event. A heady mix of music, dance
horseracing and BBQ championships, plus the chance to meet Mr. Lisdoonvarna
and Queen of the Burren.
Puck Fair
Website:
Puck Fair
Puck Fair is
one of Ireland's oldest and most popular festivals, with hours of
free family entertainment, a traditional horse fair, open air concerts,
parades and fireworks.
