Ireland Week In France: A Cultural Event For St. Patrick's Day

Usually, the French celebrate St. Patrick's Day by going to Irish pubs. However, this year, they can do much more than that! For the first time in 2024, Irish Tourism is launching Ireland Week in France. Here is the schedule for this cultural event that will make you see life in green.

Ireland in the spotlight for Saint Patrick's Day.

Can't make it to Ireland to celebrate St. Patrick's Day? This year, Ireland comes to you in Paris and across France for Irish Week.

This cultural event is being organized for the first time in 2024 by Tourism Ireland from March 11 to 18, around the traditional Irish National Day celebrated on March 17.

For this occasion, cultural and artistic events will be offered at the Irish Cultural Centre in Paris and in selected businesses throughout France.

An Irish film festival

As part of the first Ireland Week in France, Tourism Ireland is partnering with the Irish Cultural Centre, located in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, to present a series of recent films and documentaries made in Ireland.

Here is the screening schedule:
• The musical documentary Nothing Compares, dedicated to Irish artist Sinead O'Connor, will be shown at the Les 3 Luxembourg cinema (Paris 6th) on March 12 at 6 pm, with director Kathryn Ferguson present (free admission).

• The film My Sailor, My Love will be shown at the Les 3 Luxembourg cinema on March 12 at 8:30 pm (price €11.30, booking recommended).

• The film It's a Fine Thing to Sing will be shown at the Irish Cultural Centre on Wednesday, March 13 at 7:30 pm (price €5, booking recommended).

• The documentary Around My Island, telling the story of Irish skipper Tom Dolan, will be shown on Monday, March 18 at 7:30 pm at the Irish Cultural Centre with the sailor present (price €5, booking recommended).

Photo exhibitions at the Irish Cultural Center

The Irish Cultural Centre in Paris is hosting several photographic exhibitions from March 7 to April 18, 2024, to highlight different aspects of Ireland and its culture.

During the first Ireland Week in France and until mid-April, visitors will have free access to the following photo exhibitions:
• Ireland's Past in Colour (Old Ireland in Colours).
• Gaelic Sports.
• The Olympics: 100 Years Since Ireland's First Participation.

In addition, as it does every year, the Irish Cultural Centre in Paris is organizing its St. Patrick's Festival from March 7 to 17, 2024. For this occasion, a range of concerts and activities has been prepared, including family-friendly events.

On Sunday, March 17, St. Patrick's Day, storytelling sessions and workshops for face painting and coloring for children will allow the youngest to explore the Emerald Isle and its culture.

Commercial animations throughout France

The first Ireland Week in France will also be marked by commercial promotions in travel agencies and across more than 1,500 outlets in France.

Tourism Ireland has leveraged the Havas Voyages travel agency network to highlight Ireland as a destination throughout the month of March 2024. To persuade French tourists to plan a trip to the Emerald Isle, Havas Voyage has implemented a promotional campaign on social media, as well as sending out a newsletter and broadcasting a video in its agencies.

A bus adorned with the colors of Ireland and Havas Voyages will roam the capital from the 13th to the 15th of March 2024 to meet with passersby and offer them concerts and sessions of traditional Irish dance with the Belfast Traditional Music Trail troupe.

A Taste of Ireland in France

Dancers from the Belfast Traditional Music Trail will also take up residence at Beaugrenelle Paris on March 16 and 17, 2024, to offer Parisians an immersion in Northern Ireland.

The experience, both auditory and visual, will be enhanced by the display of breathtaking landscapes such as the filming locations of the series Game of Thrones and the famous Giant's Causeway… A way to give visitors a taste of Ireland and encourage them to choose this destination for their next vacation!

In parallel, the event "La Saint Patrick se met à table" will invite French consumers to discover Irish gastronomy through the best products of the island. Meats, fish, seafood, alcoholic beverages, and spirits will be highlighted during the month of March 2024 in nearly 1500 stores across France.