St Patrick's Day 2024 breakdown: A list of Orange parades, festivities, and free kids' activities

There are simply too many to list in all, but here is a selection of some of the main events across Northern Ireland on Saturday March 16 through to Monday March 18.

• SATURDAY: BELFAST SHANKILL ROAD PARADE:

A number of events have already happened this week as part of the Greater Shankill St Patrick’s Festival.

It culminates in a parade on Saturday at 1pm starting at Woodvale Park, and going via Woodvale Road, the Shankill Road, Hopewell Crescent, North Boundary Street, and back again.

There are up to 12 bands slated to perform, including:

Sons of Ulster Flute Band, Belfast; Sons of Ulster Old Boys Flute Band, Belfast; Cloughfern Young Defenders Flute Band; Cloughfern Young Conquerors; Shankill Road Defenders; The Billy Boys Flute Band; Parkinson Accordion Band; and Shankill Old Boys Flute Band.

• SATURDAY: BELFAST CITY CENTRE MUSIC AND DANCE:

In 2 Royal Avenue – the former Tesco supermarket in the city centre – there will be a ceili dancing workshop from 11am to noon.

At the same venue from 1pm to 2pm the council says there will be an “outdoor pipe band extravaganza featuring and celebrating pipe bands of the calibre of Drumlough Pipe Band and many more” followed by "snare drum and bagpipe taster sessions” from 2pm to 3pm.

All this is free.

• SATURDAY: DOWNPATRICK PILGRIMMAGE

The Church of Ireland diocese of Down and Dromore will hold a Holy Communion service at Saul church to the north-east of Downpatrick at 9.15am.

An hour later, there will be a walking pilgrimmage to Down Cathedral on the western edge of Downpatrick, roughly two miles away.

There will be a festival service there at 11.45am with guest preacher the Rt Revd Dr Jill Duff, Bishop of Lancaster.

Bishop David McClay said: “In 433AD, in defiance of the pagan king, Laoise, Patrick lit a Paschal fire to celebrate Easter.

"It was said that if that Paschal fire was not put out on that day it would never be extinguished.

"Almost 1,600 years later the fire of the gospel has not been put out but needs fanned into flame in Ireland again.”

Bishop David will light a symbolic fire at the end of the service and at 1pm there will be a complimentary picnic in the cathedral.

IMPORTANT – PARKING AND BUS TRANSPORT:

People can park in Downpatrick before the pilgrimmage / service and get bussed to Saul

Buses to the communion service depart between 8.15 and 8.45am.

The last bus for the pilgrimage leaves at 9.45am.

The last bus going from Saul to the Cathedral leaves at 10.40am.

• SATURDAY: BALLYMENA PARADE

At 1.30pm a parade organised by LOL No1123 St Patrick's Church Temperance will go from the Galgorm Road via Broadway, William Street, and Castle Street to St Patrick’s Church, before returning from 3pm.

Nine bands are slated to take part, with 300 participants.

• SATURDAY: ARMAGH PARADE

In Armagh, a parade organised by Cormeen Rising Sons of William Flute Band will go from Mall East round Gaol Square, Barrack Street, Scotch Street, Market Street, College Street and back toMall East.

Starting at 7pm, it involves a whopping 62 bands, and perhaps as many as 2,000 marchers.

• SATURDAY: NORTH COAST KIDS’ CRAFTS

At Flowerfield Arts Centre in Portstewart, kids will be able to experiment with a mix of artistic materials in workshops suitable for kids aged 5-7 years (10.30am – 12noon) and 8-12 years (1pm-2:30pm).

Spaces are now limited. Bookings can be made at www.flowerfield.org

At 8pm at Flowerfield, Irish trad act Realta will play.

Tickets are £15 (£13 concession) and can be booked at flowerfield.org or by calling 028 7083 1400.

This is event takes place in the auditorium with unreserved tiered seating.

Meanwhile at Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre in Limavady, there will be a felting workshop from 10am-11.30am where kids will make felted shamrock pictures to take home.

This workshop is suitable for children aged 5-7 and can be booked at www.roevalley.com

• SATURDAY & SUNDAY: LONDONDERRY CONCERTS

A ticketed concert costing £10 called ‘Music Beyond Borders’ will be held at the White Box, Foyle Arts Building, at 2pm on Saturday.

Performing will be duo Nathan Sherman (viola) and Alex Petcu (percussion), with compositions from Londonderry-born Kevin O’Connell, Armagh composer Aine Mallon, Ed Bennett, Nick Roth, Swedish composer Karen Rehnqvist, and a world premiere by Benjamin Dwyer titled Lagantong.

Another ticketed concert called ‘The Art of Song’ with opera singer Ailish Tynan and pianist Cathal Breslin will be held on Saturday at 7.30pm (tickets £10-£15) in the Great Hall, Ulster University Campus Magee.

Ailish will perform Fauré, Schubert, and Wolf, as well as a selection of traditional Irish folksongs.

At 4.30pm on Sunday, a variety concert called ‘Sons & Daughters of Derry’ will be staged at Chruch Church, Church of Ireland.

Tickets are £10-£15.

It will feature “Irish melodies, hits from the musicals and popular classical works,” with soprano Margaret Keys, tenor George Hutton, cellist Kim Vaughan, saxophonist Gerard McChrystal and pianist Cathal Breslin.

• SUNDAY: BELFAST CITY CENTRE MUSIC

On Sunday "festival village” will be set up in the Cathedral Quarter, with live music from Drumlough Pipe Band, Glengormley School of Traditional Music, bagpipers, Highland dancers, Irish dancers, a bodhran circle, and various food stalls.

There will be music and dancing on the acoustic stage in Saint Anne's Square and a ceili in The MAC.

• SUNDAY: SLEMISH MOUNTAIN HIKE

The traditional pilgrimmage up Slemish Mountain on St Patrick’s Day is expected to bring thousands of hikers to the 437m (1,433ft) summit on Sunday.

It takes about 90 minutes to get up and down, and it is strongly advised that strong footwear is worn – sections of the climb can be steep and slippery.

Certificates will be handed out to hikers.

There will be no parking anywhere near Slemish and traffic patrols will enforce all no-waiting cones, so a free park-and-ride service will operate from Silverwood/Michelin at Broughshane, just off the M2. Follow the yellow and black event signs on all approaches. Parking for blue badge vehicles is also available at Silverwood/Michelin.

The shuttle bus to Slemish Mountain will run continually from 9am from the old Michelin plant at Silverwood Industrial Park to the east of Ballymena, with the last departure at 3:30pm.

Dogs are not allowed on the hike.

• SUNDAY: DUBLIN CHURCH BROADCAST

A pre-recorded service at St Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral, Dublin, will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 from 8.10am and BBC Radio Ulster from 10.03am.

• SUNDAY: LONDONDERRY STREET FESTIVITIES

A number of events will be happening in Guildhall Square: live music of various genres from 1pm to 6pm, and food from noon to 6pm.

There will be circus, acrobatic, and parkour performances, crafts, comedy, magic and music at the Peace Gardens from 1pm to 6pm.

The day’s main carnival parade goes from Bishop Street Car Park at 3pm north to Strand Road.

• SUNDAY: BELFAST CITY CENTRE

At 11am there will be a choral eucharistic service at St Anne’s Cathedral. This is free, no booking needed.

From 1pm to 3pm, there will be a St Patrick’s Pilgrimage tour with US presbyterian minister Kiran Young Wimberly, open to all faiths and none. It starts at The Salmon of Knowledge (the Big Fish by the Lagan) and ends at St Matthew’s Church, Shankill. Cost is £20.

At The MAC from 1pm to 4pm there will be a “family friendly ceili”. Free, no booking needed.

And in nearby St Anne’s Square there will be free music and dance from 1pm to 4pm.

In the Cathedral Gardens there will be “festival village” with “music, dance and food”.

The city council’s St Patrick’s Parade goes from the City Hall at 1.30pm down Chichester Street, Victoria Street, High Street, Castle Place, Donegall Place, and back to the City Hall, ending at 3.30pm.

Among those on the march will be the Boomstrutt Brass Band, Glasgowberry Drummers, Major Sinclair Pipe Band, Brazilian Beat NI, Shakti Women's Tribe, and Streetwise Samba.

• SUNDAY: ENNISKILLEN PARADE

On Sunday at 5.30pm in Enniskillen, a parade organised under the banner of “Project St Patrick” will set off from 3.30pm from Wellington Road, going to Friths Pass, Belmore Street, East Bridge Street, Town Hall Street, Church Street, Castle Street, and back to Wellington Road.

It involves four bands – Coa Pipe Band, Cavanacarragh Band, St Marys Silver Band, and Enniskillen Pipe Band, and will involve perhaps 300 participants.

• SUNDAY: OMAGH PARADE

On Sunday at 2.30pm in Omagh, there will be a parade of some 11 bands, going from Drumragh Avenue to Market Street, High Street, John Street, James Street, and Omagh Methodist Church.

It is organised by the council.

• SUNDAY: DOWNPATRICK PARADE

In Downpatrick on Sunday, there will be a parade from 1.30pm from Ardglass Road via Edward Street going to John Street, Irish Street, Market Street, and Rathkeltair Car Park.

It involves 20 different groups including Chidambaram Samba Band, Cleland Memorial Pipe Band, Cottown Pipe Band, Community Tribal Drummers, County Armagh Drum Major Band, Harry Ferguson Memorial Pipe Band, Belfast Indian Drums, Brazilian Beat NI, the Ardglass Viking Association, Strand Bikers Newcastle MCC Group, Downe Old Car Club Group, and Downpatrick Scout Group.

The number of participants is expected to be around 500.

• SUNDAY: NEWRY PARADE

In Newry on Sunday, there will be a huge parade from 1pm from The Quays going to Buttercrane Quay, Merchants Quay, Sugar Island, Kildare Street, and The Mall.

It involves some 20 different groups, including: Beat Carnival Band, New Rugby Club Group, Scoil Rince O'Dowd Group, Sinead Nolan Academy of Irish Dance Group, 1st Dromore Newry Scout Group, Lisdrum Youth FC, Cathal Fegan School of Taekwon-Do, and the Newry Maritime Association Group.

The number of marchers is expected to be close to 1,000.

• MONDAY: ANTRIM AND MOSSLEY CRAFTS, MUSIC, AND LEGO

The same schedule of free events are taking place in both Mossley Mill and Antrim Castle Gardens on Monday.

It will involve arts and crafts from 12pm to 4pm with live traditional music from Glengormley School of Traditional Music at 12.10pm and 12.50pm, followed by Irish dancing performances at 2.10pm and 3pm.

In addition, there will be Lego workshops in the Hospitality Suite at Theatre at The Mill from 1pm and 2.30pm. The cost is £7.50 per child, and includes a take-home Lego gift.

To book your Lego workshop spot, visit www.theatreatthemill.com or ring 0300 123 7788.

• MONDAY: BROUGHSHANE PARADE

On Monday in Broughshane, there will be a parade at noon from Raceview Road via Main Street to Carnlough Road, Tullymore Road, Carnlough Road, Main Street, and Knockan Road Community Centre, before returning.

There are 11 bands listed on the 11/1 form, with the number of marchers estimated at 2,000.

It is organised by Braid District LOL 18.