In what can only be described as typically Irish, the St Patrick’s Day celebration (which is actually today, March 17) will in Dundee be marked by a night of comedy and music on Friday, March 31.

Kevin Shanahan, Dundee’s own Mad Irishman, and his friends are hosting a stand-up comedy show at the old Sports Tavern, Gladstone Street next to Build-It from 6.30pm on that evening.  Kevin said with so many people going away for the weekend, he had no option but to change the day of the night of Blarney fun.

While dress is casual, Kevin encourages guests to wear green – the colour of Ireland and, of course, St Patrick.  There will be plenty of comedy, music and a light meal served, all for just R150 per person, plus you get a free drink on arrival. Once the jokes have been told, there will be a disco and dancing.

For details contact Kevin at 082 361 6679.

St. Patrick’s Day
St Patrick’s Day is a global celebration of Irish culture on or around March 17. It particularly remembers St Patrick, one of Ireland’s patron saints, who ministered Christianity in Ireland during the fifth century.
Happy people dressed in green on the street.
St Patrick’s Day is celebrated in countries with people of Irish decent.

What Do People Do?
St Patrick’s Day is celebrated in many parts of the world, especially by Irish communities and organisations. Many people wear an item of green clothing on the day. Parties featuring Irish food and drinks that are dyed in green food colour are part of this celebration. It is a time when children can indulge in sweets and adults can enjoy a “pint” of beer at a local pub.

Many restaurants and pubs offer Irish food or drink, which include:

Irish brown bread.
Corned beef and cabbage.
Beef and Guinness pie.
Irish cream chocolate mousse cake.
Irish coffee.
Irish potato champ, also known as poundies, cally or pandy.
Irish stew.
Irish potato soup.
St Patrick’s Day is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland (United Kingdom) and the Republic of Ireland. St Patrick’s Day is also a festive occasion in some parts of the world where it is not a public holiday. Therefore traffic and parking may be temporarily affected in streets and public areas where parades are held in towns and cities.
Background
St Patrick is one of the patron saints of Ireland. He is said to have died on March 17 in or around the year 493. He grew up in Roman Britain, but was captured by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland as a slave when he was a young adult. After some years he returned to his family and entered the church, like his father and grandfather before him. He later returned to Ireland as a missionary and worked in the north and west of the country.
According to popular legend, St Patrick rid Ireland of snakes. However, it is thought that there have been no snakes in Ireland since the last ice age. The “snakes” that St Patrick banished from Ireland, may refer to the druids or pagan worshipers of snake or serpent gods. He is said to be buried under Down Cathedral in Downpatrick, Ireland. Ireland’s other patron saints are St Brigid and St Columba.
Some say that Saint Patrick added the Sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross. Other Irish-related symbols seen on St Patrick’s Day include the harp, which was used in Ireland for centuries, as well as a mythological creature known as the leprechaun and a pot of gold that the leprechaun keeps hidden.