St Patrick’s Day in Temple Bar: Live updates from Dublin’s most famous pubs

Five things you didn't know about St Patrick's Day

Whether you're Irish or not, everyone loves celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day - a tradition worldwide that sees millions of people coming together to drink, dress in green, eat traditional Irish food and celebrate the country's heritage.

But if you can't, do the next best thing and join The Independent as it spends the day in Dublin's most iconic drinking area, Temple Bar.

Saint Patrick’s Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick, is a celebration in honour of the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick.

The day of celebration, which marks the day of Saint Patrick’s death, was originally a religious holiday meant to celebrate the arrival of Christianity in Ireland and made official by the Catholic Church in the early 17th century.

Observed by the Catholic church, the Anglican Communion, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Lutheran Church, the day was typically observed with church services, feasts and alcohol.

Alcohol consumption has always been an integral part of Saint Patrick’s Day as historically, the day was celebrated with a day-long lift of the Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol - which has contributed to the present-day drinking.

Interestingly, Saint Patrick wasn’t actually Irish. He is believed to have been born in either Scotland or Wales and sold into slavery in Ireland as a child.

In 1903, Saint Patrick’s Day became an official public holiday in Ireland.

This year, and every year, it is celebrated on March 17.

[17 March 2018 09:34 · Ibrahim Salha]

Good morning everyone and happy St Patrick's Day! Welcome to our live blog, which will be coming to you straight from The Temple Bar in Dublin. Follow along as travel writer Nicola Brady spends the day in the Irish capital's most famous pub.

[17 March 2018 09:36 · Ibrahim Salha]

Before all of the action kicks off, read Nicola's picks for the best proper pubs in Dublin:

[17 March 2018 09:48 · Ibrahim Salha]

If you're not based in Ireland or you can't make it over to Dublin today, here are the best pubs in the UK for a proper pint of Guinness:

[17 March 2018 14:22 · Nicola Brady]

Happy St Patrick’s Day from a very chilly Dublin! Let me preface this live blog by saying that I love Dublin. I will wax lyrical about Dublin’s virtues until the cows come home. I live in Dublin, and I write about it all the time, encouraging more people to come. But something mystifies me – whenever someone comes to visit me, or tells me that they’re coming to Dublin, they always want to go out in Temple Bar. Going out in Temple Bar is the equivalent of soaking up the spirit of London in Leicester Square. It’s like landing in New York, heading straight to the TGI Friday’s in Times Square and proclaiming “I’m SUCH a New Yorker right now”. No self respecting Dubliner would go out in Temple Bar. Particularly not on Paddy’s Day. I’m going to go out in Temple Bar on Paddy’s Day. Wish me luck.

[17 March 2018 15:11 · Nicola Brady]

As I mentioned earlier, it is absolutely freezing here in Dublin. There's even been a little bit of snow. Which is why I’m wearing my wellies. I also figure that they might come in handy later on, when trying to avoid piles of vomit.

[17 March 2018 15:20 · Nicola Brady]

Here’s an interesting aside – the first ever Paddy’s Day I spent in Ireland was on the tiny Clare Island, off the west coast. The rain was torrential, and ice cold. We somehow got lost and ended up halfway up a mountain trying to find the parade, which mostly consisted of tractors and dancing children. It was great.

[17 March 2018 15:47 · Nicola Brady]

OK. The excellent parade is over (I've never seen so many shivering high school marching bands in one place). The road blocks have been put away. It's time to enter the beast. I'm heading into Temple Bar.

[17 March 2018 15:54 · Jon di Paolo]

Performers taking part in the St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin

[17 March 2018 15:57 · Nicola Brady]

I've been in for less than five minutes and I've already seen two girls in tears. Emotions are clearly running high. Also, I'm wearing approximately 17 layers of thermals but a guy just walked past me in shorts and a T-shirt.

[17 March 2018 16:31 · Nicola Brady]

We've hit the first bar, The Temple Bar (aptly-named). There's a long queue to get in, and a fittingly stern man keeping guard at the door. A young American girl, not allowed in, wasn't too impressed and quickly told the guy behind her to "Go f**k himself" before changing tack and saying "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm the worst". Inside, the crowds are insane, as is to be expected. I've already had a good portion of a pint poured down my back. I'm with my friend Dena who, after getting pushed into another crowd of drinkers, just said "I like people, but this is ridiculous".