Preview: Paddy's Day, Where's The Craic?

Lindsey
By Lindsey Last edited 180 months ago
Preview: Paddy's Day, Where's The Craic?

heartguinness.jpg
By spacekadet via the Londonist Flickrpool.
It seems it's only a matter of time before Ireland's national day - 17 March - is rebranded International Guinness Drinking Day (their website actually has no mention of St Patrick we can find but is full of their own 250th birthday 'this spring'). As usual, there'll be branded oversize felt Leprechaun hats a plenty. But there's so much more to Paddy's Day! Whiskey for starters. Colcannon. Um. Harp lager. And wearing green. Yes, everytime someone suggests Englanders should make more of St George's Day just think for a second about Paddy's Day. Do we really need another excuse for daytime binge drinking?

Non alcohol related, official, Mayor sanctioned festivities will be going on tomorrow with a parade of marching bands, 'street theatre', schools etc starting at noon and filling the streets from PIccadilly down to Whitehall. Trafalgar Square will then come alive with a line up of Irish music and the chance to have a stab at ceilidh dancing. Watch out for some kids doing Riverdance too.

If the Square doesn't appeal you can catch free films round the corner at BAFTA on a first come, first served basis where the Irish Film Festival is showing two Gabriel Byrne films simultaneously at 2.15pm and you might want to check out what's on at the Irish Cultural Centre, Hammersmith and the London Irish Centre, Camden.

And of course, Paddy's Day will be given a hundred thousand welcomes at pubs across the capital - Irish themed chains, genuinely Irish and, in fact, any boozer with stout on tap and a bottle of Irish whiskey - all weekend and the celebrations will most likely simply roll on till Tuesday night, school nights be damned.

On a serious note and with cliches tossed aside for once, we'll be toasting peace with our first pint of Irish themed booze wherever we are. SlĂ inte.

Last Updated 14 March 2009