Dúisigh Éire! – St Patrick’s Day 2021
St Patrick’s Day, a day to celebrate Irish culture, is held on the 17 March each year. It was originally a day of feasting to celebrate the life of St Patrick – one of the most famous pa
tron saints of Ireland. However, today it usually involves a mass celebration of parades, music, dancing, special food, drinking and a sea of green.
Dúisigh Éire!
Each year, the St Patrick’s festival spans over five days hosted in Dublin. However, due to the pandemic, the festival has b
een moved online. This year the theme is Dúisigh Éire! Awaken Ireland! Which is a call to Irish people across the world to put aside the long, dark months and rise to embrace the brighter days ahead.1
Celebrating
Seeing as the festivities will be at home this year, why don’t you spend St Patrick’s Day celebrating in a way that it was traditionally commemorated – a day of feasting! Below we share some traditional Irish dishes that are at the heart of Irish culture.
Making time to relax – Loving your Gut
Remember making time to relax can help you minimise the effects of stress and is good for your gut health!
Feasting
- Irish Soda Bread soda-bread can be both sweet and savoury. It is made without yeast but rises due to the combination between baking soda and buttermilk which together act as a leavening agent.
Traditionally made with mutton, onions and potatoes, Irish stew is a staple meal that is commonly considered the national dish of Ireland. Today, you are more likely to find Irish stew made with lamb.
Potatoes are at the centre of Irish cuisine, and a classic side dish is called Colcannon. Colcannon is made of mash potatoes, braised white cabbage and butter, topped with spring onions.
Boxty is a potato pancake made by mixing grated potatoes into mashed potatoes and then frying it like a patty. It is thought that the name ‘boxty’ originates from the Irish phrase arán bocht tí, which translates to ‘poor-house bread’.
Barmbrack is a traditional Irish fruit cake, also known as Irish Tea Cake. A ring is typically placed within the barmbrack cake and the person who finds it is said to have good luck.
These traditional dishes are just to name a few that are associated with the wonderful Emerald Isle. Although this year’s St Patrick’s Day cannot be celebrated in person, we hope that you can connect with your friends and family afar in celebration of this symbolic Irish day.
References:
- St Patrick’s Festival (2021) Dúisigh Éire Awaken Ireland. Available at: https://www.stpatricksfestival.ie/ (Accessed: March 2021).
