St. Patrick’s Day in Poland: The Greenest Day of the Year!
Festiwal Świętego Patryka will take place across Poland to celebrate Ireland’s national day
on 17 March.
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in Poland and around the world every year. This year’s Festiwal Świętego Patryka is bigger and better than any we have enjoyed before! Events – concerts, exhibitions, lectures and “Irish Days” – will take place all across the country. Polish cities will join the Global Greening campaign and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by lighting up famous buildings in green on 17 March. Minister Damien English will visit western Poland to represent the Irish Government over the St. Patrick’s Day period.
Festiwal Świętego Patryka
An online calendar of events taking place around Poland for St. Patrick’s Day is available on the Embassy’s website and on our Facebook page. You will be able to follow news about Festival events on Twitter and Facebook using the #swPatryk hashtag.
Global Greening
Nineteen Polish cities will turn landmarks green for St. Patrick’s Day. Polish landmarks will join the Empire State Building in New York, Niagara Falls, Sacré-Cœur Basilica in Paris, Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Sydney Opera House, as well as many other iconic sites around the world.
Landmarks in Poland taking part in the famous Global Greening campaign:
| Warsaw | Palace of Culture and Science |
| Bielsko-Biała | Hotel President |
| Gdańsk |
Uczniowska Street flyover |
| Kalisz |
City Hall |
| Katowice | Spodek Sports and Entertainment Arena |
| Kielce | Echo shopping centre |
| Kołobrzeg | Pier |
| Kraków |
Father Bernatek Footbridge |
| Lublin | Centre for the Meeting of Cultures |
| Łódź | Centrum OFF Piotrkowska |
| Malbork |
Malbork Castle Museum |
| Poznań |
City Hall |
| Przemyśl |
Brama Przemyska Bridge |
| Rzeszów | City Hall |
| Toruń | City Office of Toruń |
| Włocławek | Browar B. Cultural Centre |
| Wrocław |
Centennial Hall |
| Zabrze |
Szyb Maciej |
| Zamość |
City Hall |
Ireland-Poland Relations
Damien English, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, will visit western Poland over the St. Patrick’s Day period as part of the Government’s 2018 ‘Promoting Ireland’ programme. Minister English will visit Poznań and Wrocław, taking part in business events to promote trade between Ireland and Poland.
Two-way trade was worth €3.4 billion in 2016. There are over 50 flights per week between Ireland and 11 Polish cities. Irish food and beverage exports to Poland were worth €184 million in 2017. St. Patrick’s Day is the perfect occasion to try delicious and sustainable Irish food!
The popularity of St. Patrick’s Day and Irish culture in Poland is helped by the strong people-to-people ties between Ireland and Poland. Up to 130,000 Poles live in Ireland, where they are very welcome.
Poland is home to a vibrant Irish community. The charity Irish Ball, organised by Irish volunteers in Warsaw, is one of the highlights of the St. Patrick’s Day calendar and raises money for Polish charities. Warsaw is home to Poland’s first Gaelic football club, Cumann Warszawa. The Irish-Polish Chamber of Commerce is a hub of business and social activities for growing Irish-Polish trade ties.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day from the Embassy of Ireland!