If you’ll be in Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day and plan on joining in on the many festivities held across the country, you’ll want to base yourself in a hotel that provides easy access and perhaps offers a little someone extra special of its own. While Dublin is renowned for its massive party with numerous events, including a parade held on March 17th, there are many places where you can take part in the fun with celebrations large and small. From charming accommodations in small villages to hotels in the heart of the capital city, you’re sure to find the perfect place to book.
The Merrion - Dublin
One of the best hotels in Dublin, The Merrion offers a prime location with Merrion Square, where much of the St. Patrick’s Day festival will take place, just a few minutes walk away. A 5-star luxury hotel spread across four Georgian townhouses, Ireland’s most extensive collection of private art adorns the walls of the ground-floor drawing rooms while open turf fires offer additional charm. It has a courtyard garden, rare to find in a central Dublin hotel and a tranquil spa with a pool providing the perfect oasis when you’re in need of relaxation. Dining can be enjoyed at the country’s only 2-star Michelin Restaurant, Patrick Guilbaud, and the hotel is also home to The Cellar Bar, The Garden Room, and the intimate No. 23 Cocktail Bar.
Abbeyglen Castle Hotel - Clifden
Clifden is nestled in the Connemara region, backed by soaring mountains with medieval ruins and white sandy beaches nearby. A popular castle stay in Ireland, it hosts St. Patrick’s Day Parade and there are numerous pubs offering live music and other festivities throughout the day and long into the night. The town is also home to one of the best value castle hotels in the country, Abbeyglen. It offers a champagne welcome reception, an excellent restaurant and piano bar, and beautiful rooms, some with four-poster beds, Jacuzzi tubs, and fireplaces.
Adare Manor Hotel
Adare Manor Hotel is a five-star hotel set within an early 19th-century manor house on an 840-acre property in one of Ireland’s prettiest villages. It has its own challenging Robert Trent Jones-designed golf course, home to the Irish Open in 2007 and 2008, and a world-class spa. Expect plenty of special extras for the holiday while enjoying the village’s fabulous parade.
Hayfield Manor - Cork
Set on a hill just 10 minutes on foot from the city center and the famous English Market, Hayfield Manor is perfectly situated for enjoying the parade and other St. Patrick’s Day festivities, including a food and crafts market, music, street performers, and children’s workshops. It also offers a special deal for the Irish holiday with a two-night stay that includes breakfast and a €30 dining credit to spend towards a four-course evening meal at the on-site Perrotts Garden Bistro or Orchids Restaurant. The luxury hotel hosts an outstanding spa and a pool overlooking an enclosed garden with a sauna, steam rooms, and an outdoor hot tub. Rooms are all upscale, with the Master Suite an ideal pick with a view of Cork city and a working fireplace.
Dromoland Castle - Newmarket on Fergus
Dromoland Castle offers a luxurious castle hotel stay on a meticulously-groomed 375-acre estate that will make you feel as if you’re royalty. The enchanting castle includes an extensive array of dining options with dishes focused on fresh, locally sourced produce, along with a golf course, an award-winning falconry school, a golf course, and activities like horse riding, fishing, clay shooting, and archery. A special three-night stay includes daily breakfast and dinner in the Earl of Thomond Restaurant on an evening of your choice, plus a night of dining at the Fig Tree Restaurant. To celebrate the holiday there will be a ‘Chocolate Leprechaun Hunt’ and live performances from Irish bagpipers.
Kilkenny River Court Hotel - Kilkenny
A stay at Kilkenny River Court Hotel will put you in the heart of medieval Kilkenny, a hub of art and culture. It sits along the banks of the River Nore and offers beautiful views of 12th-century Kilkenny Castle while providing easy access to TradFest, part of the city’s St. Patrick’s Day Festivities. Not only can you enjoy one of the best parades in the country, but the best of traditional music, song, and dance, and all sorts of family-friendly activities. The top shopping areas, entertainment, attractions and Kilkenny’s Medieval Mile are all right at your doorstep too, yet the hotel provides a quiet oasis to return to after a day of fun with comfortable rooms, some with balconies and castle views.
The Shelbourne, Autograph Collection - Dublin
Located on the northern side of St. Stephen’s Green, The Shelbourne will put you steps from all of the festivities while enjoying five-star elegance in a hotel that’s been here since 1824. It hosts a fabulous spa with a pool and a relaxation space for enjoying park views while sipping cocktails. Plus, its three bars are local hot spots on the city’s social scene. Rooms are available with views of St. Stephen’s Green and the mountains in the distance, while all come with comfy beds that have pillow-top mattresses, flat-screen cable TVs, and marble bathrooms.
Cashel Palace - Cashel
Just around the corner from the famous Rock of Cashel, Cashel Palace is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day by opening its official Guinness bar, Donoghue’s, a beautifully restored Irish pub exclusive for hotel residents. Not only was the hotel recently named Ireland’s hotel of the year, but this is also where the “Godfather of Guinness,” Archbishop Arthur Price, resided in the mid-1700s. It’s a rich slice of history as his land agent, Richard Guinness, used hops from the Palace Garden and water from its well to brew ale for Cashel Palace. Richard’s son Arthur Guinness, who was the Archbishop’s godson, was left £100 in his godfather’s will – the same £100 he used to secure the lease on the site of St. James’s Gate brewery in Dublin. In addition to the bar and historic character, you can look forward to an exceptional culinary experience and a world-class spa with seaweed baths and a swimming pool. The town itself will be hosting its annual St. Patrick’s Day parade too.
Ross Hotel - Killarney
Killarney hosts one of the most colorful St. Patrick’s Day parades with a festival that includes street dance and music in a fun-filled emerald green event. The pubs of Killarney are filled with live music and plenty of Guinness, while talented street performers keep everyone entertained for hours. The parade passes right by the front door of the Ross Hotel, and it will put you close to popular Killarney National Park too. An intimate boutique hotel, rooms have all the essentials like Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, minifridges, and coffeemakers. Some come with fireplaces too.
Waterford Castle Hotel & Golf Resort - Waterford
Waterford Castle offers a luxurious castle stay on a private 310-acre island just two miles from Waterford City. Take advantage of all sorts of special deals for the Irish holiday while enjoying amenities like an 18-hole championship golf course, nature trails for tranquil strolls, skeet shooting, archery, and more. All of the elegant rooms and suites are spacious and include stunning views of the surrounding estate. The city itself is the oldest in Ireland and was the first to declare St. Patrick’s Day a national holiday. It hosts a traditional parade, concerts, and other performances.
Fitzwilliam Hotel - Dublin
The Fitzwilliam Hotel sits opposite St. Stephen’s Green and the big parade will pass very close by, putting guests steps from all the action and many attractions in the heart of the shopping and entertainment district. After all the fun, you can come back and enjoy the myriad of treatments at the Spirit Spa along with a delicious meal at one of two restaurants, including a glam eatery that serves modern Irish fare. The guest rooms are chic and include fresh flowers, beds with down duvets, and flat-screen TVs. Some have private balconies or four-poster beds and a few look across the treetops of St. Stephen’s Green.
The Moorings Guesthouse & Seafood Restaurant @ The Bridge Bar - Portmagee
If you’re looking for a more authentically Irish stay in a small town, it would be hard to beat The Moorings in Portmagee. Located in County Kerry at the tip of the Iveragh Peninsula in spectacular southwest Ireland, It’s home to the Bridge Bar, renowned for its live traditional music sessions and its fantastic cuisine. The town itself hosts a parade and other fun festivities and you’ll be perfectly situated for enjoying it all without having to get behind the wheel. You might even meet Larry the Leprechaun, who’s said to be “partial to the odd pint of Guinness and is often heard singing “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling.”
Dingle Benners Hotel - Dingle
Dingle not only boasts some of the most breathtaking scenery in all of Ireland, it’s home to countless pubs hosting live music. On St. Patrick’s Day, the party is likely to go on through the wee hours of the night, with plenty of live Irish tunes to go along with it. The town’s parade typically begins with the Dingle Fife and Drum Band and follows a traditional route that winds through the brightly colored buildings with unique shops that are so quintessentially Ireland. Dingle Benners Hotel is a boutique hotel right on Main Street offering luxury accommodation in the heart of it all.
Park House Hotel - Galway
Galway has a rich tradition of music and culture as one of the best cities to experience the St. Patrick’s Day festivities, complete with a parade and a carnival atmosphere. The Park House Hotel is one of the best places to base yourself for enjoying it, set within a beautiful Victorian-style stone building just a 2-minute walk from Eyre Square. It has a posh bar with stained glass and hand-carved oak ceiling panels, an intimate restaurant serving classical French fare with modern Irish influences, and comfortable rooms with all the essentials.
