Prague, 27th February 2019 - Celebrations for the Irish holiday of St. Patrick, a tradition in many cities around the world, have also found a place in the Czech Republic. And this year, they’ll even last two days. Over the weekend of March 16 and 17, in addition to traditional Irish music, cultural performances, and workshops, the stars of this year’s event are Irish cuisine and a parade through the streets of Prague. And not only in the capital city – celebrations are planned in more than 600 locations throughout the country.
The St. Patrick’s Tour, which will again take place in Prague, is a bit bigger this year, and will therefore also last for two days. On Saturday, music will play first fiddle, along with professional comedians, various workshops and cuisine, and the Irish Parade through Prague will take place on Sunday. And what can visitors look forward to in particular?
Saturday, March 16 – Culinary specialities, Stand-up, and lots of music
At last year’s St. Patrick’s Day Tour, the most prominent new event was the Irish parade; this year it’s the focus on Irish cuisine. Wondering what traditional and lesser-known Irish specialities taste like? Meat, burgers, sauces – those surely come as no surprise, but did you know that oysters are also a typical Irish dish? And have you tasted them, for example, paired with the best-selling Irish whiskey Jameson or selected specialty beers? Be sure to stop by the Náplavka Street Food Festival at the Smíchov waterfront from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. On the way there or back, be sure to make a stop at the Dancing House, which will be specially lit in green, and enjoy beautiful views of the city.
The main space and meeting point - externí odkaz for this year’s tour is Holešovice Hall 17. The main program, from 4 to 6 p.m., will be the Velvet Comedy Show, featuring Stand-up performances by professional comedians, the first two of which are travelling here straight from Dublin – Richie Bree and John Colleary. They’ll be joined by Katie Anderson (US) and Grant Gallacher (UK). Tickets for seats cost CZK 150 and are available through Goout.net - externí odkaz . In Hall 17 you can also see an exhibition of photographs by Jan Řeháček aka Kopernikka or take advantage of the expert tattoo and barber services. Even here, Irish gastronomic specialities won’t be relegated to the back burner. Visitors can try pairings of Jameson whiskey and Košíře beers, which mature in old Jameson whiskey casks, as well as Irish coffee and other Irish specialities. From 6 p.m., the music program will feature an old St. Patrick Tour favourite, Irish bard Travis O’Neill, and his guests.
Other locations on the Tour include the Rock Café on Národní Street, where the evening will kick off with Underground Comedy and their stand-up programme, while The Wild Roots and Cheers will handle the music side of the event (entrance fee CZK 150). Electronic dance music will be the focus in the second Holešovice space, 36 Underground. Headlining the show will be Irish DJ Marcus O’Laiore, joined by Czech DJs Melvin Coxx, SNBM, Michael C, Enrico, and others (entrance fee CZK 100).
Sunday, March 17 – Irish Parade
The Czech St. Patrick's celebrations will culminate in a parade through the streets of Prague on Sunday. The starting point will be Kampus Hybernská – at around 3 p.m., the green parade of the Irish living in the Czech Republic will set off with their friends and other supporters out into the streets of Prague. You can also take part, either by joining the parade or just enjoying the wide variety of Irish costumes and masks in the streets of the city. Kampus Hybernská will host other events on Sunday, including a crash course in the Irish language, Irish literature readings, and a concert by Conamara Chaos. You’ll also find Irish drinks and specialty foods.
The organisers will gradually roll out the full program for this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Tour at www.toursvatehopatrika.cz.
More information at www.toursvatehopatrika.cz - externí odkaz #BezeStrachu.