A weekend of Irish-themed revelry is being planned for the city to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. The free event will see the boardwalk area of Piccadilly Gardens transformed with food and drink stalls and live music.
It all happens from St Patrick’s Day on March 17 through the weekend to March 20. Pipe bands, Irish dancing and Irish folk musicians will be taking to a stage in the gardens, running each day from 12pm to 7pm.
There will also be stalls selling stouts, Irish coffees and hot toddies.
Councillor Pat Karney, city centre lead for Manchester City Council, said: "We all know that if you can't be in the Emerald Isle itself then Manchester is the next best place to celebrate St Patrick's Day.
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“We also know that one day alone isn't nearly long enough to celebrate all that's great about Ireland and its unique cultural heritage of music and dance - which is why we've put together the weekender event to share the love over four days and give everyone a chance to enjoy the craic.
"It's brilliant to see so many people already coming back into the city centre to enjoy what it has to offer, and the Manchester Irish Weekender gives another good reason to come into town.
“It's going to be fantastic, so find a shamrock, wear something green, and come on down!
It’s among a host of events happening in the city to celebrate the patron saint of Ireland.
The Irish World Heritage Centre will be holding a parade from its HQ in Cheetham Hill on March 13, featuring floats and marching bands, beginning at 12 noon, though it won’t be the usual march culminating at Albert Square, due to the continuing refurbishment of the town hall.
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Instead, it will leave the IWCH before heading down Queens Road, onto Cheetham Hill Road before turning around again at the AO Arena and returning to the heritage centre.
Martin Logan, one of the trustees of the IWHC, told the Manchester Evening News: “We all missed it. It’s the highlight of our calendar for the Irish community in the UK.
“We missed it, and we missed seeing our friends, that was the big thing. It always a good day of fun and laughter and colour. We’re really looking forward to it going ahead this year.”
The Manchester Irish Festival will also be hosting events across the city too.
Award-winning Fianna Phadraig Pipe band, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary, will be visiting various locations across the city throughout this coming weekend, including a performance at the Trinity Statue outside Old Trafford this Saturday (March 12) before touring Levenshulme, Burnage, and Fallowfield on St Patrick's Day itself.
Details of the weekender can be found here, and to get details of the Irish Festival events, go to their website.
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