Guide to St Patrick's Day in Bristol

Guide to St Patrick's Day in Bristol

Posted on: 10 Mar 2017

St Patrick’s Day 2017, the day when once again people across the world will take to the pubs and bars of their town and Bristol will be no different. Here's your guide to the best options our city has to offer on the 17th March...

 

Seamus O’Donnell's 

Seamus O’Donnell's

Naturally, Seamus O’Donnell's will be at the literal and figurative heart of the celebrations. Located slap-bang in the middle of all the great Bristol venues it’s the perfect option to stop in for a drink or two...maybe a few more. Obviously they serve up a great pint of Guinness and have a large selection of whiskeys from the Emerald Isle, but the more foolhardy amongst you might be interested to know they also offer ‘Poteen’.This Irish Moonshine is a 70% ABV triple distilled spirit - which is so strong that it is limited to one shot per customer - and you can't get this in any other bar in Bristol! Traditionally made from either potatoes or grain, the production of Poteen was outlawed in 1661, and remained illegal until the late 1990s. 

Entertainment comes from The Bogtrotters, six musicians from a wide variety of musical backgrounds. Their musical direction leans mainly towards their own arrangements of traditional Irish and Scottish music and a mixture of country and Cajun, though also takes in their original songs. From there you can enjoy all the Guinness and whiskey you like before Woodchuck, favourites amongst the O'Donnell's regulars, take to the stage. It’s a guaranteed great night and there really is no better way or place to spend St Patrick’s Day in Bristol!

 

The Memorial Stadium

The Memorial Stadium

The Memorial Stadium, home of Bristol Rovers, is opening its doors for an evening of well-mannered revelry on the 17th March as St Patrick's Day rolls around for another year. The event, taking place within the Bristol Rovers Social Club, includes entertainment and an Irish supper. 

 

Lakota - Shak Out 3rd Birthday and Paddy's Day special

Lakota - Shak Out 3rd Birthday and Paddy's Day special

Dub - Grime - Funk&Soul - Reggae - Garage - Jungle - Hip-Hop 

Tickets 

Immersive decor throughout the whole venue, expect lots of hidden surprises including jerk bbq, inflatables, chill out room, walkabout performers, dancers, co2 and confetti canons.

Lineup:
Donae'o 
Stand High Patrol (3 hour set)
Aba Shanti-I
Commodo (Deep Medi)
Dawn Penn
Spooky 
Earl Gateshead
Gardna
El-B (Ghost Recordings)
Dub Smugglers
Sticky
Parly B 
Fingerfood
Sam Stryda 

Support from:
Kreed B2B Dutchie - Buckfast Boys Club - No Ice Cream Sound - Raggamuffin Selector - Jesse Amos - Hold Tight Showcase ft Live Horns - Sinai Sound Soundsystem - Leo Samson - Brockley Hifi - Jackal Wyfreid - Washing Machine Sound System - GCDJs - Luc St. Clair - Kalum - Kong - Fielding - Nakes - Powercut - Kayze 

 

Blowin' a Hooley at Malcom X Community Centre

Blowin' a Hooley at Malcom X Cummunity Centre

Celebrating Lá Fhéile Pádraig, "the Day of the Festival of Patrick", the national festival celebrated in more countries than any other, Malcom X Community Centre in Montpelier present a night of good, honest, joyful merriment and folk-infused rowdiness. Cast aside all gimmicks of shamrock and green-wigged stereotypes and join us in a drop of the pure and a rattle of the floor boards. Featuring:

FITTY GOMASH, Bristol favourites and Hooley house band, as always bringing an epic ceilidh to proceedings.

THE LANGAN BAND, Glaswegian power-trio, high energy, unhinged, and musically extravagant, taking traditional acoustic idioms and delivering with punk abandonment and virtuosic flare.

MIKEY KENNY BAND, The finest Scouse Irish dance band around, virtuosity in pumping reels!

 

Steam - Bristol

Steam - Bristol

Ok, this is technically not on St Patrick's Day, but it looks awesome...On Saturday 18th March there's going to be a St. Patrick's Party at Steam-Bristol (the old Roo Bar next to Clifton Down Station). Tickets are ONLY £10 (£15 for 2) and include Irish Whiskey cocktails, slider burgers* and live music from blues band Cosmic Balloon.

Get your best 1920s clobber on because Lenten restrictions on drinking have been lifted so Irish whiskey is going to reign. Place your shamrock into your cup, fill it with whiskey, raise your goblet of life to Ireland and hold no dregs of sorrow. Glasses up to an Irish True Party!

Steam-Bristol will help you look the part. Bring your hipster beards with you to be styled by their in house barber, there'll be a photo booth and a shoe shiner to boot!

So, get your tickets today for this Irish True Party for St. Patrick’s at Steam-Bristol.

*Let Steam-Bristol know if you are are veggie/vegan when you book your tickets by emailing them on info@steambristol.co.uk.

 

Here are our two favourite facts guaranteed to impress/bore your friends on the day:

 

#1 St Patrick was the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland and was credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. There are various and conflicting versions of his life story but it's believed he was born in Britain around 385AD and his parents were Roman citizens who lived in either Wales or Scotland. 

 

#2 If you're enjoying a pint or two of Guinness on St Patrick's Day, it might still puzzle you as to why the national flower of Ireland, the shamrock, is sculpted with various degrees of wobbly accuracy into the froth of the black stuff. It actually represents the Holy Trinity of the pagans and the custom known as "drowning the shamrock" - the flower worn on a hat or lapel and put in the final drink of the evening. 

 

If you need any info or help with where to go on St Patrick’s Day, or any other day, simply Contact us - #AdviceIsFree

St Patrick's Day 2017 Bristol Guide


Article by:

James Anderson

Born and raised in the suburbs of Swansea, Jimmy moved to Bristol back in 2004 to attend university. Passionate about live music, sport, science and nature, he can usually be found walking his cocker spaniel Baxter at any number of green spots around the city. Call James on 078 9999 3534 or email Editor@365Bristol.com.