text and photos by Nina Sarmiento

 

I heard of St. Patrick's Day but it was only when I relocated to Ireland that I got to enjoy the festivities. More than honoring the  country's patron saint,  St. Patrick's Day is a day of fun (or as the Irish call it, "craic" -pronounced as crack). So if you're a woman traveling alone in Ireland, here are some tips to have a craic in St. Patrick's Day.

1. Watch the parade – It may not be as big as Macy's, but it is still fun to watch  and even just do some people watching.

 

2. Eat at the food fair – Time to give your tummy another excuse to gobble on the food fair, and some of them are artisanal food. Try eating traditional Irish foods such as boxty (traditional Irish potato pancake),  bangers and mash, or even Guiness stew – yup that's beef stew cooked with Guinness beer, a popular Irish dry stout.

 

3. Wear  green shirts and ginormous hats  – And banter around for a bit. Plus points for those who want to dress up like a leprechaun.

 

4. Do the 12 Pubs of Paddy – Heard of 12 Gifts of Christmas? Well,here's the Irish version of  that. Visit 12 pubs in 6 hours, and drink one pint per pub.

 

5. Drink Shamrock Shake –  I am neither a fan nor a paid endorser of McDonald's, but  McDo outlets serve Shamrock shake at this time of the year. That's mint-flavored, green-colored milkshake with cherry on
top.

 

6. Drink Green beer – Yeah this is a very touristy option, but  again why not?

 

7. Drink Irish beer and craft beers  –  The first thing to come into mind is Guinness, but there are also other Irish beers out there so give it a try.

 

 

8. Dance to live music –  Another good way to meet people. So put your dancing shoes!

 

9.  Listen to Celtic Music – Ditto.

 

10. Get into  festive spirit – Paddy day is an Irish day, but lots of people celebrate it still and enjoy it very much.

DO get into the festive spirit. Remember, there are only two kinds of people in the world, The Irish and those who wish they were Irish. Millions of people around the world will take part in celebrations, all the while wishing they were Irish so don’t let the day go to waste. Get dressed up, head to a parade or a festival near you and enjoy the (sometimes drunken) celebrations. There are tons of things to do and after all it’s the only day of the year that dressing up like a bishop might help you get lucky with the opposite sex. 🙂

 

 

 

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Resources:

Are you a woman traveling alone in Ireland (or any part of the world) ? Then this soolo female travel guide might help you in crafting your own journeys!