St Patrick’s Day is the one national holiday that is celebrated in more countries around the world than any other. The day when everyone wants to be Irish and in every English-speaking city in the world there’s a St Patrick’s Day festival with green beer, blarney and craic. But the most authentic way to celebrate is in the country’s capital – Dublin.

Whether you fly from Bristol or take the ferry from Holyhead, Dublin is worthy of a visit at any time of the year. However, the city comes into its own over the four-day St Patrick’s Festival, which sees hundreds of thousands gather on the city’s streets and in venues throughout the centre to ‘honour’ the saint who drove the snakes out of Ireland. You’ll find street theatre, a fairground, music festival and the famous street parade on 17th March to round out the festivities. The parade begins at midday and winds its way from Parnell Square heading down O’Connell Street, through College Green to an appropriate end at St Patrick’s Cathedral – the largest church in Ireland. It is certainly worth seeing and you can purchase grandstand tickets to make sure you get the best view.

Getting around the city is easy with the recently introduced Leap Card, which works much like London’s Oyster card and can be purchased on arrival at the airport and used on the city’s buses and trains. It is very economical too, as the fares average around 15% cheaper than paying in cash and the money you save can be put towards shopping on Grafton Street or a cheeky pint of the black stuff in the lively Temple Bar!

Dublin is quite a compact city and you can get your bearings by travelling on the hop-on hop-off bus tour. You can get a great view of the skyline from the Guinness Brewery or take to the water and cruise the River Liffey. The sightseeing options are endless.

The popular city offers a range of accommodation options to suit every traveller, from the historic Shelbourne Hotel – which is ideally located opposite St Stephen’s Green and has played host to many famous names – to quaint bed and breakfasts offering quirky Irish charm and everything in between. Make sure you book early to ensure you get the best flight and accommodation deals, as the city books up quickly over the festival period and you don’t want to miss out!