Tourism Ireland is inviting the world to round off St Patrick’s Day with a virtual Irish pub night. 

Everyone knows that the island of Ireland is the best place in the world to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. However, as overseas visitors can’t travel there for now, this St Patrick’s Day Tourism Ireland will bring a taste of Ireland right into the homes of people everywhere around the world.

‘St Patrick’s Day at Home with Tourism Ireland’ will be a 90-minute broadcast on the evening of 17 March from three of Ireland’s best-known and much-loved pubs. The event will be livestreamed on social media from Johnnie Fox’s pub in the Dublin Mountains, as well as from Dick Mack’s in Dingle and the Duke of York in Belfast.

Tourism Ireland – the organisation responsible for promoting the island of Ireland overseas as a leading holiday destination – wants to give the Irish diaspora and friends of Ireland around the world the chance to celebrate St Patrick’s Day from the comfort of their own homes.

Featuring all the elements of a typical Irish night out, it will be a cabaret-style event, with a huge welcome, traditional and modern Irish music and dance and, of course, great fun! It will even include two members of Riverdance showing some steps from the iconic show.

Niall Gibbons, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “This St Patrick’s Day, we’re bringing the celebrations into the homes of the Irish community and friends of Ireland around the globe. Our message is that we can’t wait to roll out the green carpet and welcome our overseas visitors back to the island of Ireland, as soon as the time is right.”

Janet Redler, Chief Executive of Janet Redler Travel & Tourism, added: “While we can’t yet travel to enjoy the delights of Ireland for real, this live event will bring the excitement of St Patrick’s Day into our homes. It might not be quite the same as being there in person, but it’s probably the next best thing – and is sure to whet people’s appetite for a visit to Ireland when we can all travel again.”

The evening will open at Johnnie Fox’s pub in the Dublin Mountains, the highest pub in Ireland, with a performance by drumming ensemble, the Celtic Drummers. A master brewer from the Guinness Storehouse will show viewers how to pour a perfect pint from a can.

Then, it’s over to the Duke of York pub in the heart of Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter, where the Shamrock Tenors, a new Northern Ireland-based five-piece harmony and multi-instrumental group, will combine their traditional Celtic melodies and modern-day vocals.

In Dingle, the broadcast comes from the legendary Dick Mack’s, where singer and songwriter Róisín O will entertain viewers with her beguiling music and voice, and the event will finish at the magical Cliffs of Moher with a fascinating fusion of traditional Irish music and dance with modern-day Irish rap.

‘St Patrick’s Day at Home with Tourism Ireland’ will be livestreamed through Tourism Ireland's Facebook and YouTube channels, as well as on Ireland.com. It will take place in Great Britain and Mainland Europe at 19:00-20:30; and in North America at 21:30-23:00. #StPatricksDayAtHome

If you or your group would like to enjoy a tailor-made tour of Ireland, perhaps taking in the St Patrick's Day celebrations on 17 March, please do contact our friendly team today.