I joyously returned from a long weekend in Dublin last night having checked another thing off of my bucket list- to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland. I spent the weekend alongside thousands of other tourists who flock to the city each year to celebrate the beloved Irish holiday. Although I didn’t have the pleasure of staying in the city for the parade today, I relished the chance to take part in the pre-holiday weekend festivities.

Coming from spending my last St. Paddy’s on an American college campus, I realized this holiday is a lot different in Ireland than many tourists assume. Sure we had an amazing time (we danced, we sang, we drank loads of beer), but we didn’t wake up at 8 am to beat the brunch rush at Rooney’s to start the day off fresh with Irish Car Bombs (Hey roomies!).

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to talk anyone out of the experience. I had an absolutely awesome time and would even do it all again in the future. But, before you drop a pretty penny on a costly flight only to spend countless hours searching through hostels that have been pre-booked for months, you may want to have a look below and make sure this is what you’re looking for.

Planning to spend more time in Ireland after the festivities? Check out this awesome and complete Ireland Itinerary by my friend Kate!

What You Didn’t Know About St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland.

It’s St. Paddy’s NOT St. Pattys

 As one of my Irish friends so politely pointed out, most “ignorant” Americans say Patty’s. Apparently the true Irish say Paddy’s after the Gaelic name for Saint Patrick. (oops)

Patrick’s drink for free!

According to one of my many friendly taxi drivers, on March 17^th, if your name is Patrick some bars will let you drink for free. He told us that him and his son, Patrick Jr., have made a tradition of the occasion. So, if you’re name is Patrick, don’t forget to bring ID and ask the bartender if he’s participating.

NEVER ask for an Irish Car Bomb…

While most bartenders don’t even know how to make an “Irish Car Bomb”, many others find this name extremely offensive. The name refers to the car bombs set off during the “The Troubles” of Ireland in a conflict with the English. Many, including innocent civilians, were brutally injured or killed.

So, if you must have this drink (hell, we all know it’s a lot of fun), describe it to the bartender; don’t ask for it by the American name. For those of you who don’t know the recipe: a mixed shot of Irish cream (Baileys) and Irish whiskey (Jameson) dropped into a half-pint of Guinness.

St. Patrick’s day is a very “Americanized” holiday.

While many tourists rush to Ireland every year in search of crazy weekend parties, the truth is that the holiday is much more low-key in Ireland. Like most other things, St. Paddy’s is more commercialized in the US. All of the people you see walking around in green leprechaun hats and sparkly shamrock glasses are tourists. Unfortunately most of those you see clumsily stumbling around “pissed” (as the Irish put it) are tourists as well.

Corned beef and cabbage? Where?

In all of the pubs that we visited in Dublin, not once did I see corned beef and cabbage on the menu. What I did see were many stews, beef and lamb to be exact. When asking the locals what the dish to try in Ireland is, most will reply Guinness Beef Stew.

Guinness costs less at the Guinness Storehouse than many other places

Even though the Guinness Storehouse may seem like just another tourist trap, the value for your money is pretty damn good. An adult ticket costs around 17€ and includes a snack, a few tastings and a pint of Guinness, which they teach you to pour yourself. After all that, the pints at the bar are under 5€ apiece, which compared to those at 7€ in Temple Bar is a pretty good deal considering. Some of the bars have traditional live music and if you ask nicely, some bartenders will even put a cute little shamrock design in your Guinness foam. If you’re going to make the trip to the Storehouse, it’s definitely worth it to kick back and have a few.

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Happy St. Paddy’s Everyone!!