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Alternatives to movies and the mall...

St Patrick’s Festival

It’s been years since St Patrick’s Day didn’t mean a lovely long weekend. This year most children will just get Wednesday off school, so it’s good that our national holiday is now marked by a long festival and not just a single day of parading. Best of all, most events are free. In Dublin, which hosts the biggest festival, events kicked off yesterday – and it’s all very child-friendly.

If you’re reading this early in the day, hurry down to City Hall, on Dame Street, for the St Patrick’s Festival treasure hunt. The clever clues encourage participants to get to know the city better, and there are spot prizes galore – including ones for the best-dressed team. It starts at 10am, and it’s free.

Merrion Square is the best outdoor venue in the city, and previous events there have always been well organised and imaginatively scheduled. Tomorrow’s Big Day Out looks no different. Designed as a family day, the action begins at noon. Several international street-theatre acts have been brought in, including the skipping acrobats called Planet Jump Rope, from Belgium, and France’s Chapeau Magique, who is an artist who helps the public make wild and wonderful paper hats.

Also in Merrion Square will be a toddlers’ playground, musical sculptures, a vintage bus full of books and a solar-powered cinema showing short movies throughout the day.

See stpatricksfestival.ie for more information on these and other events around the country