St Patrick's Day on Achill Island, Ireland

St. Patrick’s Day 17th March

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on 17th March every year and is a national holiday in Ireland. More than that, it is an occasion celebrated by Irish people all over the world. But for traditional Irish St. Patrick’s Day festivities there’s no place like Achill on the rugged west coast of Ireland.

In many villages on Achill there is a tradition of pipe bands, and on St. Patrick’s Day these colourful and compelling bands play a central role in celebrations. From a 6am reveille, the bands march for most of the day – surely one of the longest St Patrick’s Day parades anywhere. For visitors, a thoroughly enjoyable day can be had following the Achill pipe bands, pausing for refreshments of course and taking time to enjoy the spectacular scenery of Achill Island. In the evening, traditional and modern entertainment is offered in many of the local hotels and pubs.

A more conventional St. Patrick’s Day parade takes place in Achill Sound. Check back here for dates of this parade.

RTE report on Achill pipe bands on St. Patrick’s Day 2011

Approximate times:

8.00am – Dooagh Pipe Band starts. Molly’s, Keel West.
8.00am – Keel Pipe Band starts. Minaun View Bar, Keel.
8.30am – Pollagh Pipe Band starts. Dooagh NS, Dooagh.
8.45am – Dookinella Pipe Band starts. Achill Head Hotel, Pollagh.
9.00am – Afreann Gaeilge (Mass in Irish). St. Patrick’s Church, Pollagh.
10am – all bands play. St. Patrick’s Church, Pollagh.
10.30am – begin march from Pollagh to Dookinella.
12noon – Mass @ Dookinella Church.
1pm – bands play individually, then collectively. Dookinella church. Bands then commence march back to their own villages.