Let’s face it. St. Patrick’s Day is Ireland’s gift to the world. Officially, it has something to do with Catholicism, but in reality, it’s just an excuse to consume excessive amounts of alcohol in the middle of the week. And it’s also an excuse for airlines and hotels in Ireland to charge exorbitant prices so that you may have the pleasure of consuming excessive amounts of alcohol in the middle of the week. As a broke college student, you’re probably wondering how to get around these barriers to crossing this milestone off your bucket list.
Here’s how I did it:
#1. Learn to love (or at least tolerate) RyanAir
Assuming you are already in Europe, RyanAir will probably save you a fortune in travel costs (my flight from London to Dublin cost £14 one way and £20 the other). RyanAir is based in Dublin and is probably the cheapest airline that exists so it can be partially forgiven for coming up with some weird rules. Remember, this is a bare-bones airline so that means no free snacks onboard, you’ll have to pay for a checked bag, you’re only allowed one carry-on (a purse is considered a carry-on so you can’t have a purse and a carry-on, only one), forget about anything over 15 kilo, however do not forget to print out your boarding pass (sometimes this error will cost you more than your ticket), and you really should say thank you that they don’t charge you to use the lavatories (believe me, they tried). Oh, and be prepared to walk to the plane.
If you’re not already in Europe then you should get to Europe sometime in February as this is the lowest of the low season (probably because no one wants to come to Europe in February). Tickets in March aren’t that much more expensive but if you’re flying directly to Ireland, the closer you get to the 17th of March, the higher the prices will be. Aer Lingus usually has the cheapest trans-Atlantic fares (New York/Boston to Dublin/Shannon) but you can check Skyscanner and Cheap-O-Air to see if you can do better.
#2. Get to Ireland a few days before the big day
You will save a ton of money on airfare if you fly 3-4 days as opposed to 1-2 days before Paddy’s Day. This also enables you to actually see the country before it gets trashed.
Dublin’s Grafton Street – the calm before the storm
#3. If you’re really stuck, you can take the ferry
I have some friends who took the ferry over from Wales on a rail and sail combo ticket from London. Fares can be as low as £30. Believe it or not, their entire journey was actually less eventful than my 45 minute RyanAir flight.
#4. Become friends with an Irishman (or an Irishwoman)
I don’t normally advocate using people but this is actually really helpful for two reasons: 1) hostels cost double the price on March 16-17 than they do on March 14-15 or 18-19. And 2) hostels are usually booked solid weeks (sometimes months) in advance.
Having an Irish friend means that you get to squeeze about 20 people into the living room of a standard sized Dublin row house (not exaggerating, this actually happened) and save all the money you have for the Guinness and Jameson.
Irish hospitality is legendary. There will be a kettle of water perpetually boiling on the stove for the entire duration of your stay. You will be consuming a lot of tea and probably a lot of potatoes as well. And as an added bonus, you’ll get to enjoy the dry, witty, and self-deprecating Irish sense of humor. You’ll probably get “slagged” (teased) as well. Most of it will float right over your head but if you do catch it, rest assured, it’s a sign of endearment.
Note: A house, colloquially, is often called a “gaff.”
You’ll also be having a far more authentic Paddy’s Day experience. When most people think of Paddy’s Day in Ireland, they think of beer and parades. I think of the chippy down the road from my friend’s house, watching “Father Ted,” the news anchors wearing shamrocks and discussing the latest rugby match, and having to tiptoe over the pile of blankets, pillows, and sheets covering the living room floor to make sure I wasn’t accidentally stepping on someone who was sleeping. I’ve met people who flew in on March 17th in the morning and flew out again that evening. Where’s the fun in that?
Oh, and whatever you do, don’t ever bring up the fact that England beat Ireland at Rugby on Paddy’s Day 2012. Ever. Not even as a joke. Aside from the fact that it was absolutely brutal to watch the first time around and therefore should not be re-conjured, your Irish friend will probably never speak to you again.
#5. Take advantage of free stuff to do
Dublin in particular has a lot of free things you can do from walking tours (Sandeman’s is highly recommended) to museums to local attractions…you can even learn Irish! Although this would be more suitable for the western part of the country since Dubliners don’t usually speak Irish unless they’re forced to do so in school or something. The first word I learned in Irish means “death” (it was on a pack of cigarettes). Hopefully you’ll do better than that.
While you’re in Dublin, don’t forget to stop by Jonathan Swift’s gaff. If misanthropeism were a religion, Mr. Swift would be God.
Other places you should check out: Temple Bar (obviously), Trinity College (home to the Book of Kells, beautiful campus as well), and St. Stephen’s Green (lovely park).
Temple Bar
St Stephen’s Green
And of course there’s that parade…
Sandeman’s Tours website: http://www.neweuropetours.eu/ (Tour is free, tips are optional but appreciated as tour guides rely on these)
Note: Alcohol is actually not legally allowed to be sold in stores on Paddy’s Day as it’s still supposed to be a solemn and holy day. Pubs are open though.
The Idiot’s Guide to Thrift Tripping 