With the St. Patrick’s Day Parade being cancelled for a second year in a row due to the pandemic, Irish people will be celebrating their national holiday from the comfort of their homes.
There will be virtual events held throughout the day, from concerts and stand-up specials, to virtual parades and entertaining programmes.
Here’s how you can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year:
The Best of the Pub
Join us on March 17th for a virtual concert with @NiallOfficial to raise #AToastTo The Best of the Pub. Stay tuned for more… we can’t wait to see you there! ☘️ pic.twitter.com/27ZBXx6GDv
— Guinness US (@GuinnessUS) March 14, 2021
Niall Horan will be teaming up with Guinness to headline ‘The Best Of The Pub’, a virtual gig being broadcast live on YouTube from 5:59pm on St Patrick’s Day.
The concert will be broadcast live from O’Donoghue’s pub in Dublin, with Niall joining in from his local in London – The Toucan in Soho Square.
Other special guests on the night include Nigerian-Irish poet FeliSpeaks , who will perform a specially commissioned piece, and Irish chef Marcus O’Laoire, who will be showing you how to create the ultimate Guinness cheese toastie.
U2 Go Home: Live From Slane Castle
Three of U2’s concerts – Slane, Red Rocks, and Mexico – will be launching on the band’s YouTube channel in their new ‘U2: The Virtual Road’ series.
The first concert will broadcast on St. Patrick’s Day at 7:30pm, showing the Irish rock band’s legendary Slane Castle gig from 2001.
Dermot Kennedy will open the show with a solo performance recorded last week outside Los Angeles.
Nathan Carter virtual concert
Nathan Carter will livestream a gig with his band on St. Patrick’s Day at 8pm.
The live gig will take place in Belfast’s Crumlin Gaol, where he will perform some of his biggest hits, including Wagon Wheel, Caledonia, Temple Bar.
Tickets are on sale for approximately €17.50 (£15) here.
The Today Show’s St. Patrick’s Day Special
Dáithí Ó Sé and Maura Derrane will be presenting a special episode of The Today Show on RTÉ One at 1pm, with a host of Irish talent performing on the day.
Guests include Daniel and Majella O’Donnell, astronaut Chris Hadfield, Fr. Brian D’Arcy and Mary McAleese, as well as musical performances from Irish singers Una Healy, Mundy and Soulé.
The virtual audience will be given the chance to win one of 18 staycation giveaways, and the winner of the RTÉ Eye on Nature competition will also be revealed.
A St. Patrick’s Festival Celebration
Baz Ashmawy will present A St. Patrick’s Festival Celebration on RTÉ One at 6:30pm, celebrating culture and creativity.
There will be performance from Soulé, an Orchestra performance from Galway, a short film from award-winning performer Mark Smith, and a poem from spoken word artist Stephen James Smith.
There will also be a special performance from the Hot House Flowers, as well as a drone show from across the skies over Dublin.
The Late Late Show St Patrick’s Day Special
Ryan Tubridy will host The Late Late Show St Patrick’s Day Special which will be broadcast on Wednesday, March 17, featuring Irish music from across the globe.
The host has promised “the cream of Irish traditional music”, with guests including Brendan Gleeson, Paddy Moloney of The Chieftains, and members from The Corrs and Clannad.
Members of Stockton’s Wing, Edel Fox, Louise Mulcahy and Zoë Conway will also appear on the show, which airs at 9:30pm on RTÉ One.
