St Patricks Day is celebrated all around the world, but nowhere more than in St Patricks home country of Ireland, all around the emerald isle festivities will be springing up before, on and after the 15th of March, from Dublin to Galway and Belfast to Cork there are many festivities to be seen. If you want to experience the best of St Patricks Day then take a trip there and enjoy all it has to offer, you can get great deals on flights to Belfast from most UK airports, Belfast is a great base to start your exploration of Ireland and its festivities.
St Patrick was actually born across the water from Ireland in Wales to wealthy parents at the end of the 4th Century, when he was 16 a young Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders and shipped across the Irish Sea. Here he spent the next six years in captivity working as a shepherd, lonely and away from his family Patrick found solace in his religion and so he became a devout Christian. Six years later Patrick escaped from his captors after he heard God’s voice telling him it was time to leave Ireland and so made his way back home, where he had another vision this time from an angel who told him he should go back to preach Christianity to the Irish. After studying to be a priest for 14 years Patrick returned to Ireland where he built churches and spread the Christian faith for the next 30 years until his death on March 17, 460AD. After his death March 17 became the day set aside for spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide.
Because so much of the Irish population lives all around the world many people who wish to become ‘Irish for the day’ have opted for the green of the Irish flag to express their Irishness, as well as using the shamrock as an emblem. St Patrick used the shamrock to explain the concept of The Holy Trinity, The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. These celebrations are no different in Ireland, this year St Patrick’s Day Festival (March 12-17) in Dublin is celebrated in style, with music, street theatre, family carnivals and up to 4000 performers joining the fun. This year Limerick will host the SkyFest, which is a massive fireworks display over the River Shannon. Belfast offers the annual St Patricks carnival parade with lots of entertainment on offer as well as the Guinness St Patricks Day Race Meeting which is one of the biggest days of the racing calendar.
