A festival of events celebrating Irish culture will take place in and around Bristol in the lead-up to St Patrick's Day. The festival, organised by the newly-formed West of England Irish Community Interest Company, has a huge programme of activities that culminates with a St Patrick’s Day Parade and Party on Sunday, March 19.
Kicking off at 12.30pm from the Trinity Centre it will include over 20 floats and performances from six dance schools, live music and street performers from diverse communities across the region.
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A full calendar of events, which is still being added to, can be found online, but we've rounded up a list of a range of events happening across the city and beyond.
Friday March 10
Ceilidh Dance Night at Bristol Folk House from 7pm.
Horixen Beginner Irish Dance at The Island from 6.30pm to 7.30pm
Saturday March 11
O’Mally Irish Dance Classes At Bradley Stoke Community School and Fiddlers Wood Tuesday to Saturday, from 9am - 1.15pm
Pubs and Potatoes, giants and Genius: A story walk through Irish Bristol. The walk will last approx 1½ hours and starts at 11am in St Nicholas' market. Also, on Sunday, March 12 and the following weekend.
Craic House Comedy Night with Michael Legge at Bristol Folk House from 8pm to 11.30pm.
Irish language film Song of Granite about Joe Heaney, one of the greats of old-style traditional Irish singing (sean nós). Playing at the Arnolfini from 7pm to 8.30pm.
Sunday March 12
- Family Sporting Event with the Bristol Harps players and coaches running a session of Irish sport on Clifton Downs, near the Water Tower, from 11am to 1pm. Club members will provide equipment, so people of any age can try some hurling, camóige or Gaelic football.
Set Dancing at The Chipping Hall, Wotton-under-Edge, from 11.30am to 5pm.
Road to repeal, Irish Festival of Ideas. A special Irish Ideas event to look back over the formative decades of campaigning and activism and how this made history at the Royal Photographic Society from 6.30pm to 7.45pm.
Monday March 13
Stuart Irish Dance for beginners (4 years+) Ridgeway Centre, Yate, 4.30pm to 5pm.
Traditional music session at The Three Tuns, 78 George’s Road, Hotwells Time TBC.
Irish set dancing with a live band at The Beehive, Wellington Hill West 2pm.
Tuesday March 14
- Part one of a series of five talks exploring Bristol-Ireland relations from the eleventh century to the present day with academics and guests held at the Global Lounge in Senate House from 6pm to 8.30pm.
- Traditional music night at the Stra Fishponds time TBC.
- Folk at the Railway Tavern, Fishponds time TBC.
Wednesday March 15
Part two of a series of five talks exploring Bristol-Ireland relations from the eleventh century to the present day with academics and guests held at the Engine Shed, Station Approach, from 6pm to 8.30pm.
Set dancing beginner workshop at Southmead Community Centre from 2pm to 4pm.
Folk Night at the Victoria Inn, Westbury-on-Trym, from 7.30pm onwards.
Trad night at The Royal Oak Bath at their venue on Lower Bristol Road, time TBC.
Thursday March 16
Lord Mayor of Bristol’s annual shindig in aid of the Lord Mayor's Children's Appeal. A night of Irish cuisine, dancing, storytelling and a toast to welcome St Patrick at midnight. Tickets cost £70, and the event takes place at Ashton Gate from 6.30pm to 1am.
The Perfect Cure band with Irish food, music and dance. This free event is at The Old Mill in Portishead starting at 7.30pm.
Irish singer-songwriter Cian Ducrotirish performs aboard the Thekla at East Mud Dock at 7pm.
Trad night at The Grapes in Bath from 8pm to 11pm.
Friday March 17 - St Patricks Day
- Live Music at Seamus O'Donnells on St Nicholas Street from 1pm onwards.
The Phogues, a foot-stomping Pogues tribute act play Moles in Bath from 7pm to 10pm.
St Patricks Day Quiz at the Friends of Portishead Primary School from 7pm to 11pm.
St Patricks Day party at the Long Ashton Community Centre from7pm to 12am.
St. Paddy Gets Scarred at Basement 45 10pm to 4am.
Bingo Lingo St. Patrick’s Day Special at Motion from 6pm - 10pm.
The Haar + Solarference at Christ Church, North Street and also live-streamed. Doors at 7.30pm.
With Man The Life Boats at Mr Wolfs, St Nicholas Street. Doors at 9pm.
Saturday March 18
Ceildh at St Joseph's Catholic Church Hall in Fishponds from 6.30 pm onwards
St Patrick's Six Nation's Party at Steam near Clifton Down Station, 12.30pm - Scotland v Italy, 4.45pm France v Wales, 5pm Ireland v England.
Sunday March 19
St Patrick’s Day parade and party. Parade Assembly + Wrist Band Collection starts at 11.30am at Trinity Centre, Bristol, and the parade kicks off at 12.30pm.
After the parade, there's a choice of two parties. One is a free event at St Nick's Market glass arcade, which will feature 12 acts performing. The other is ticketed, seated event with bands, dancers and musicians at Revolution Bar. Tickets for the parties can be booked in advance.
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