When studying abroad, traveling outside of your host city is definitely a way to spend your weekends. Up until this past weekend, I had been doing several day trips within the United Kingdom. However, my friend and I were craving a trip somewhere a little further away from home base. Then, we found this trip to Ireland, put together by the university’s travel society. We decided to book the trip since it offered a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Not many people can say that they have celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland…at least not that many Canadian collegiettes can say that. For me, this St. Patrick’s Day was not about getting unbelievably drunk: it was more about watching other people getting stupidly drunk, and seeing how the holiday was handled in its country of origin.
Now, I realize that the only thing more authentic than experiencing St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin would have been experiencing it in a more remote Irish city, like Galway or Limerick, two beautiful cities that I had visited over the weekend. However, on Tuesday, the small travel group I was with celebrated in the heart of Dublin. We arrived at the downtown Trinity Bar bright and early in the morning for a classic Irish breakfast. Despite the loads of time we had to secure great viewing spots in front of the bar, not everyone got to be at the front of the barrier – nonetheless, I was still able to watch the parade and capture many of the highlights.
The parade was only one half of a very long day. We had plans to tour the Guinness Storehouse right after the parade, but getting from one place to another immediately after the parade’s end was probably the most chaotic part of the day. So many people dispersed in the street, and so many of them were already drunk and senseless. Nevertheless, we made it to the Guinness Storehouse, a tad late, but had more than enough time to tour the facilities. I can definitely say that touring the storehouse was the perfect St. Patrick’s Day activity- well done, travel society! We did not tour the actual Guinness factory, and we did not see the creation of the classic beer, but we got a whole explanation on the complex processes of brewing (sounds boring but it was not at all). I loved being there because it was so much more than just a tour: there were free tastings, a sky-high bar with a breathtaking view of the entire city and plenty of Irish folk music concerts inside! I’ve never been a big fan of beer, but tasting a Guinness will never be the same for me now.
St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland was a very long day for us, so we did not really partake in any evening festivities. However, I did not feel like I had to: just seeing the parade and the storehouse in Dublin was extremely thrilling for me. If there’s any wisdom I can impart to you from this experience, it’s that when life offers you these once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, seize them no matter how doubtful you feel. Nothing about the experience will ever perfect, but in the long run, you will feel proud that you were there. It feels amazing to say that I was in Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day weekend, even if the actual day was exhausting for me. I hope that one day, you can come across an event that you feel similarly about.
Photos are the author’s own.