This coming Thursday, March 17th, the whole world will once again be wearing Irish green and sporting the shamrock, the symbol of Ireland that flies on every Irish house facade on that day.
My big dream is to one day celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day in Ireland—in Dublin, Cork, or Galway—to see how the Irish pay tribute to their patron saint.
A quick history lesson:
Many myths and legends surround Saint Patrick, who likely wasn’t originally from Ireland, but from Scotland or Wales. Kidnapped by Irish bandits, he escaped to England to become a priest. Returning to Ireland later to evangelize the country, he is said to have explained the Holy Trinity using a shamrock and driven the “snakes” out of the country…
This marked the conversion of the Irish to the Catholic religion. Over time, March 17th was added to the Catholic liturgical calendar, becoming a holy day for believers. Although celebrated by all Irish people around the world, Saint Patrick’s Day is not a national holiday. In 1903, it became a public holiday, which led to a ban on alcohol consumption in pubs. This measure was abolished in the 1970s.
For the past twenty years, the Irish government has promoted the culture through the Saint Patrick’s Festival, a national festival that grows larger every year with street performances, concerts, fireworks, and more.
In short, while waiting to make that dream come true (which is getting closer since I went to Scotland earlier this year), here is a small selection of top tips to enjoy Saint Patrick’s Day in Paris, because the beer will be flowing in the pubs here too!
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Table of Contents
The Irish Cultural Centre
Obviously, I can’t talk about Saint Patrick’s Day in Paris without mentioning the activities offered for the occasion by the Irish Cultural Centre from March 17th to March 20th, 2016.
On the program:
- On the evening of March 17th, there will be a concert called “Chapel Session” at 8:30 PM (€15), featuring two Irish folk-trad bands, Lynched and The Henry Girls, preceded by the opening of the Tom Molloy exhibition (free admission).
- On Saturday, March 19th, a show for young audiences at 3:00 PM (€5) featuring The Henry Girls.
- On Sunday, March 20th, a free traditional music concert at the Jardin du Luxembourg from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM, followed by an afternoon of circus performances in the CCI courtyard starting at 1:30 PM (free admission) with Irish food specialties.
Irish Cultural Centre 5 rue des Irlandais, 75005 Paris
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Saint Patrick’s Day at FrogPubs
The pioneers of craft beer in Paris, the FrogPubs (which I have already mentioned in several articles), will also be dressed in the colors of Saint Patrick’s Day!
In terms of tasty treats, the FrogPubs chefs have created the Saint Patrick’s Burger, a 140g patty of 100% pure French beef (at FrogPubs and FrogBurger, all meat is sourced from artisan butcher Olivier Metzger), topped with Irish cheddar, arugula salad, and grilled bacon with a parsley-shallot sauce.
It will be on sale in a limited edition throughout the week at FrogBurger and only on Thursday, March 17th, at the 9 FrogPubs in Paris, Bordeaux, and Toulouse. And to accompany the Saint Patrick’s Burger, there’s nothing better, as tradition dictates, than a green craft beer for Saint Patrick’s Day.
The Tip: for every pitcher of beer purchased, FrogPubs will give you 4 shots of Jameson Irish whiskey.
The Saint Patrick’s Day weekend coincides with the 6 Nations Tournament, so it will be lively at the Frog Revolution, notably:
- Friday, March 18th from 9:30 PM to 11:30 PM, a concert by Cover Session
- Saturday, March 19th, the 6 Nations Tournament Final with Wales vs Italy (3:30 PM), Ireland vs Scotland (6:00 PM), and France vs England (9:00 PM)
Frog Revolution 9 Rue de la Bastille, 75004 Paris
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Planète Bière 2016
The second edition of this beer festival will take place on March 20th and 21st with one day reserved for professionals and one day open to the general public. As a side note, FrogBeer, which I just mentioned above, will launch an oatmeal stout there, marking the debut of its new series “The Frog Cereals Series”.
On the program: 12 conferences, 6 workshops and events, an ephemeral bookstore, and a beer and food pairing dinner on Saturday, March 19th.
Planète Bière 2016 March 20 and 21, 2016 General public: Sunday, March 20th from 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM Professionals: Monday, March 21st from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM Price: €25 per day, groups from €17 Le Tapis Rouge 67 rue du Faubourg Saint-Martin 75010 Paris
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All that’s left for me to do is wish you a very happy Saint Patrick’s Day and hope that next year I can tell you all about how I celebrated March 17th in Ireland!
