Fingal County Council’s Alternative St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations
St. Patrick’s Day 2021 may feel very different to festivities held in Fingal in previous years, but it is the ideal opportunity to showcase our alternative celebrations which will capture your imagination and awaken your creativity.
It’s that time of year again where we proudly celebrate Irish culture and heritage and spread a virtual blanket of green across the globe. Although St. Patrick’s Day 2021 may feel very different to festivities held in Fingal in previous years, it is the ideal opportunity to showcase our alternative celebrations which will capture your imagination and awaken your creativity.
Fingal County Council is delighted to launch the #HomemadeParade Competition. This is a fantastic chance to get the whole family involved in creating your very own St. Patrick’s Day parade at home using your favourite toys, books or artwork – the possibilities are endless. Be the Grand Marshal of your own parade and you could win a €100 One4All giftcard for the most inventive and creative parades, so get started! Deadline for entries is noon on Thursday, 18th March. Winners will be announced week commencing 22nd March. See www.fingal.ie/stpatricksday2021 for details on how to enter - Best of luck!
Also in celebration of March 17th, the Council’s Events Unit has arranged for 12 of our Fingal buildings to be illuminated in green in what is guaranteed to be an incredible visual display. The participating buildings are Swords Castle, Rush Library, Balbriggan Court House, Lusk Round Tower, Balrothery Church, Draíocht/ Blanchardstown Library, Civic Offices - Blanchardstown, County Hall – Swords, Malahide Castle, Howth Martello Tower, Bremore Castle - Balbriggan and Malahide Casino. In addition, Swords Castle, Rush Library, Balbriggan Court House and Lusk Round Tower will be illuminated with the Irish message, ‘Dúisigh Éire’ meaning ‘Awaken Ireland’.
There will be something for everyone with the Fingal Libraries virtual events marking St. Patrick’s Day. If you are interested in craft videos, then the Fingal Libraries YouTube channel is the place for you! Learn how to make a leprechaun with Yvonne, follow a step by step guide to knitting your own St. Patrick’s Day bookmark and join Laura as she demonstrates how to make a colourful pot of gold. After all those creative endeavours, why not join Renowned storyteller Niall de Búrca who will enthral viewers with a storytelling video entitled ‘Myths & Legends’.
Speaking on the celebrations, Mayor of Fingal Cllr David Healy said: “St. Patrick’s Day marks a significant date in the calendar each year as we focus on Irish culture and heritage on our patron saint’s day. This year, although we will not be attending parades or other events, it is more important than ever to celebrate our National holiday in alternative ways. I am delighted that this year, there will be a unique opportunity for Fingal residents to host their own virtual parades and to witness a spectacular illumination of Fingal buildings around the county. I would encourage everyone to get involved in the celebration and to enjoy the day. Ba mhaith liom Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig a ghuí oraibh go léir”
Chief Executive, AnnMarie Farrelly added: “Through the #HomemadeParade competition and the remarkable ‘greening’ of buildings at 12 locations in the County, Fingal County Council’s Event Unit has ensured that this St. Patrick’s Day will be an exciting virtual celebration of creativity which will no doubt capture the imagination of all our Fingal residents. With storytelling and craft videos, Fingal Libraries will be curating an entertaining online St. Patrick’s Day programme for all ages to enjoy. I hope you will join us for our celebrations and I wish you all a Happy St. Patrick’s Day.”
What better way to finish off a St. Patrick’s Day festival feeling than to head virtually to one of our stunning heritage properties for a celebration of traditional Irish music and poetry. TradFest Temple Bar @ Home takes place from March 18th to 21st. One of the participants at the event will be Stephen Rea, TradFest patron, and one of the most remarkable Irish actors of all time, as he leads a very special tribute to his late friend and renowned poet Derek Mahon with music from Matt Molloy, Neil Martin, Paddy Glackin and Felispeaks. Musicians including Phelim Drew, Frankie Gavin and Sibéal Ní Chasaide will ensure this is a memorable and enjoyable event. Full details can be found on www.newbridgehouseandfarm.com or https://www.stpatricksfestival.ie/
Other notable events taking place are as follows:
The Unsung Hero by David Gilna
Award-winning playwright David Gilna from Swords, Co Dublin will follow in the footsteps of Brendan Behan, Oscar Wilde & Sean O’Casey when his play ‘The Unsung Hero’ is staged in New York from March 16th - Saturday 20th 2021 streaming live to your devices. The play is an unforgotten love story from Easter week 1916 between Michael O’Rahilly (The O’Rahilly) The Co-Founder of The Irish Volunteers and his wife Nancy O’Rahilly Vice-president of the Cumann na mBan. Information and tickets are available at www.thepigeontheatre.com and davidgilna.ie Information and tickets are available at www.thepigeontheatre.com and davidgilna.ie
The Saint Patrick Show March 17th at 3pm and 7pm
Inspired by stories and legends from Saint Patrick’s time right up to modern day Irish poetry, The Saint Patrick Show features 2021 Grammy nominated Fontaines D.C. frontman, Grian Chatten, Matthew Campbell from the Shamrock Tenors, soprano Mary McCabe, and other Irish artists.