Top Things To Do This March In Ireland

With St. Patrick’s Day and Easter both in March this year, now is the time to plan some days out to make the most of the holidays.

Dates and Holidays

St. Patrick’s Day (17th March) is a Sunday this year, so Monday 18th March is a Bank Holiday. Easter Sunday is the 31st March, so Easter Bank Holiday Monday falls on the 1st April. The schools are closing for a two week break from 22nd March to 8th April.

Chill Opening Hours

Our offices will be closed on Monday March 18th and on Easter Monday (1st April). However, you can still get an online quote anytime with Chill for car, home, van, business, gadget, travel or life insurance. Please click here for a full rundown of our opening hours over St. Patrick’s Day and Easter.

What’s on St. Patrick’s Day Weekend

With St. Patrick’s Day falling on a Sunday this year, many of us will get to enjoy a three-day weekend of festivities in honour of our patron saint. If you’re looking for ideas for St. Patrick’s Day Dublin events or want to escape the city to scope out some craic at Paddy’s Day events and parades around Ireland, we’ve got you covered.

Dublin City Parade

The St. Patrick's Day Parade is the highlight of the St. Patrick’s Festival, with this year’s theme being spréach - the Irish word for spark. Late Late Show host Patrick Kielty is leading this year’s Parade as Grand Marshal.

Galway City Parade

Head out west for the Galway City Parade, promised to be the largest the city has ever seen. The theme is ‘Olympics 2024’ and up to 3000 people will take part from community, cultural, sporting and international groups.

Céilí Mór with Dearbhla Lennon and Pipers Cross Céilí Band

Céilí Mór is a free outdoor event celebrating the best of traditional Irish dance, language and music. Enjoy live music, learn the steps to some of the most well-known céil dances and soak up the atmosphere in Dublin’s Festival Quarter.

St. Patrick’s Snake Trail, Birr Castle

In honour of St. Patrick, let the kids follow a trail of slithering snakes that will lead them through the beautiful gardens and parkland of Birr Castle Demesne, Offaly. Find them all and discover their secret message to claim a sweet treat!

City Funfair

The City Funfair on Dublin’s Custom House Quay is a free event for all the family. It features everything from waltzers and bumper cars to old time carousels.

Our Top Picks for Easter

We’ve put together some of the best Easter events and family day outs to enjoy over the holidays, including Easter Sunday events in Dublin and further afield.

Easter Extravanganzoo at Dublin Zoo

Dublin Zoo will host its Easter Extravanganzoo event on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. Kids can enjoy Easter games, a fun trail, face-painting and special appearances by the Easter Bunny.

Easter at Luggwoods

The majestic Luggwoods woodland is an ideal place for families to spend Easter Sunday in Dublin. Discover the beautifully decorated Magical Easter Spring Trail and Luggwoods fairy tale characters, who will help the kids solve the Easter puzzle!

Slieve Aughty Spring Festival, Galway

The Enchanted Forest is a fully interactive experience where fairies, gnomes and trolls live together with the animals of the wood. Visit Winnie the pot-bellied pig and take a ride on one of the friendly ponies. There’s also crafting for kids, face-painting and a playground.

Family Day at Fairyhouse

Fairyhouse is home to the famous three-day Easter Festival, from Saturday 30th March to Monday 1st April. Easter Sunday is a family day at Fairyhouse, with free children's entertainment and the WillowWarm Gold Cup feature race.

Lullymore Heritage & Discovery Park

The Lullymore Heritage & Discovery Park in Kildare will be hosting an Easter Egg Hunt where kids can join the Easter Bunny and friends to find all the clues hidden in the Park, solve Easter Bunny’s puzzle and collect an egg! There’s also the Funky Forest Indoor Play Centre, crazy golf course, outdoor playground and a popular train ride through the Peatland Biodiversity Trail.

Plan for Your Bank Holiday Travel

The roads are likely to be busy with many of us travelling up and down the country so make sure to plan your trips in advance to avoid delays. If you’re making a long journey, plan a few stops to stretch the legs and grab a coffee to stay alert behind the wheel. Check out our blog of Ireland’s best service stations for some of the best places to stop on the road.

We hope you find this article handy to plan some fun trips this March. Remember you can get an online quote anytime with Chill for car, home, van, business, gadget, travel, health or life insurance.