St Patrick was a 5th Century missionary and is generally credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland and driving out all the snakes, among other things. March the 17th is St Patrick’s Day, which has become more about Ireland and the global contribution of the Irish than a religious holiday. It’s celebrated around the world, but there is no better place to celebrate St Patrick’s Day than in the beautiful city of Dublin, capital of the Republic of Ireland. It’s a popular time to take city breaks in Dublin and to holiday in the rest of the country. There is a lot more to it than drinking pints of Guinness although that is, of course, quite a drawcard.

Timing your short holidays or weekend breaks in Dublin to coincide with the great Irish national holiday means you can also enjoy all the entertainment of the St Patrick’s festival, which runs for a few days leading up to St Patrick’s Day. It’s much more than just a bit of fun and a lot of drinking. The festival is a celebration of Irish culture and brings in elements from film, music, comedy, and theatre, and art.

City breaks to Dublin are always full of adventure and interest, but nobody taking short breaks in Dublin at this time of year will be short of things to see and do. Whatever aspect of Irish culture captures your attention the most, St Patrick’s Day is a great time to explore it more. And the best thing about the St Patrick’s Day Festival is that it’s free!