With so many Irish expats and tons of Irish bars, it’s safe to say there are plenty of places to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in Abu Dhabi.
Officially, the day is supposed to commemorate Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, as well as Irish heritage and culture.
As the years have passed, St. Patrick’s Day has gradually evolved into a worldwide festival, complete with parades, céilithes and celebrants dressing up in green outfits.
While Abu Dhabi may be miles away from Ireland, there is no shortage of Irish people in the Emirate, with so many working as teachers and nurses.
With several Irish pubs and restaurants offering traditional Irish food and drinks, read along as we highlight the top venues to keep an eye out for the best craic in the capital.
Check out the best places to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in Abu Dhabi
St Patrick’s Day at Ma Buckley’s
With so many Irish expats in Abu Dhabi, it’s no wonder there are tens of Irish hangout spots in the city. Head to Ma Buckley’s, an Irish-owned bar in the capital, for some of the best St. Patrick’s weekend fun.
Kick things off with Grand Slam Saturday, featuring vibes by DJ Rob Forrest & Ronnie Morgan all day long. Of course, there’s also a Grand Slam Brunch & Drunch from 2 pm to 5 pm for just AED 299 as you cheer your favourite teams at the 6 Nations Showdown live.
The party of course, continues with Dermot & John Joe + Ronnie Morgan till late!
Keep the vibes going on Sunday with your GAA jerseys and pints for just AED 17 all morning! Enjoy Celtics vs Rangers and a classic Sunday Roast as Niall Conlon and Andrew Jackson bring the weekend home.
Need we say any more?
Details:
- What: St. Patrick’s Day at Ma Buckley’s Irish Pub
- When: 14-16 March
- Tickets: A la carte menus, call 02 642 8600
St Patrick’s Day Brunch At PJ O’Reilly’s
There’s no better place to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in Abu Dhabi than PJ O’Reilly’s, the oldest standing Irish pub in the capital.
With a prime location in Downtown Abu Dhabi, the quaint Irish pub has walls decorated with Gaelic text and impressive decorations linked to good old Jameson, a fine Irish whiskey.
Gather the crew, dress up in green and head to the top Irish BBQ Brunch in town. Featuring a four-hour brunch, an enormous drink selection and all-day entertainment, it would be hard to spend St Patrick’s Day in Abu Dhabi anywhere else!
Details:
- When: 15 March, 1pm
- Tickets: AED 299 per person, for bookings call 0800 101 101
- Location: Le Royal Méridien, Sheikh Khalifa Street – Abu Dhabi – United Arab Emirates
St Patrick’s Day At The Irish Vickers
Hailed as an Irish super pub and the most significant Irish bar in Abu Dhabi, The Irish Vickers is gearing up to make sure patrons have an unforgettable St Patrick’s Day in Abu Dhabi.
With weekly promotions on Irish bevvies and grub, the food menu offers everything from full Irish breakfasts to cottage pies and Irish chicken curry. Yes, Irish chicken curry is a thing!
The menu offers all the essentials for a traditional St Patrick’s Day in Abu Dhabi.
Catch the Six Nations GAA Cup or live entertainment from incredible Irish artists. Make sure to have a green, white and orange outfit for a fun-filled day at Vickers.
Details:
- When: 17 March
- Tickets: For more information and bookings, call +971 2 886 9636.
- Location: WTC Mall – The Hub – Level 6 – Abu Dhabi – United Arab Emirates
St Patrick’s Day At Captain’s Arms
Captain’s Arm at Le Meridien is likely to draw in a large crowd of people looking to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in Abu Dhabi.
The decorations, food and drink specials, live entertainment, and fun activities are bound to create an inviting and enjoyable atmosphere for patrons.
Offering indoor and outdoor seating areas, pick a spot and feast on the traditional Irish menu including delicacies, such as Guinness steak pies and bangers and mash.
Not to mention, sharing platters, drinks specials, a live DJ spinning tunes and a live band all night long!
Details:
- When: 17 March
- Tickets: For reservations and more information, call +971 056 688 5361
- Location: Le Meridien Abu Dhabi – Tourist Club Area – Al Zahiyah – Abu Dhabi – United Arab Emirates
St Paddy’s Day At Victor’s Abu Dhabi
Victor’s Pub Abu Dhabi is a sister pub to the Irish Vickers brand extending the Irish Pub scene to another catchment area within the city.
For all the sports enthusiasts, the venue has 21 screens spread across a relatively large space, so there’s no need to miss the Six Nations GAA Cup action during the St Patrick’s Day celebrations in Abu Dhabi.
Enjoy the St. Patrick’s Weekend celebrations with some authentic food and great vibes. Choose from a regular or fancy package from 6 pm to 10 pm!
Details:
- When: 14 March
- Tickets: AED 149 for the regular package, AED 169 for fancy premium. For reservations and more information, call +971 50 393 5529
- Location: Millenium Al Rawdah Hotel – Al Rawdah – W68 – Abu Dhabi – United Arab Emirates
Murphy’s Sports Bar
A hidden gem located a 30-minute drive from Downtown Abu Dhabi and thousands of miles away from the lush green grasslands of the Emerald Isle is Murphy’s Sports Bar.
Being easily accessible from Abu Dhabi International Airport, it’s perfect for those on a stopover on St Patrick’s Day for a couple of drinks.
Known to serve up delicious pub grub and burger towers, enjoy a game of snooker, darts and a handful of arcade machines.
Being an Irish Pub, Murphy’s Sports Bar is sure to have a few tricks up its sleeve for St Patrick’s Day.
Details:
- When: 17 March
- Tickets: For reservations and more information, call +971 2 505 5023
- Location: Al Ghazal Golf Club Airport Freezone Area – Abu Dhabi – United Arab Emirates
Fado Irish Pub
Contrary to the venues previously mentioned, Fado Irish Pub Abu Dhabi is reminiscent of a quiet, cosy Irish pub in the countryside.
There is a simple layout to the pub providing all the essentials to make it a comfortable atmosphere.
As an Irish pub, it ticks all the boxes with live music, international sports events, daily specials, speciality food and happy hours.
Raise your glasses, chant Sláinte, sing along to a few traditional Irish songs and let the good times roll!
Details:
- When: 17 March
- Tickets: For reservations and more information, call +971 2 692 2218
- Location: Oryx Hotel Corniche Road – Zayed The First St – Abu Dhabi – United Arab Emirates
Hemingway’s
Although Hemingway’s is an English sports bar, they do celebrate St Patrick’s Day in Abu Dhabi.
The bar’s reputation for discounted drinks and all-time favourite dishes makes it a popular choice with partygoers, who include this bar in the annual pub crawl, aka 12 pubs of Christmas.
In past years, as part of the St. Patrick’s Day in Abu Dhabi celebration, Hemingways hosted a St Patrick’s Day Garden Brunch, with a variety of delicious food, special drinks and lively music. Expect iconic shepherd’s pie, slow-cooked roast and kegs of hops.
For further details and to make a booking, call +971 2 692 4999.
Location: Radisson Blu Hotel – F87G+26 – Abu Dhabi – United Arab Emirates
St Patrick’s Day Abu Dhabi FAQs
Why do we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?
As the patron saint of Ireland and the apostle of Ireland, Patrick played an important role in bringing Roman Catholicism to Ireland.
It has become a worldwide tradition to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on March 17.
What is the relevance of wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day?
The traditional custom of wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day is to avoid being pinched by leprechauns!
In folklore, wearing green makes you invisible to leprechauns, who like to pinch people who see them.
What brings good luck on St Paddy’s Day?
The four-leaf clover is the most well-known lucky charm associated with St. Patrick’s Day. The leaves of the clover stand for faith, hope, luck and love.
Nevertheless, finding a four-leaf clover is like searching for a needle in a haystack.
There are plenty of places to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in Abu Dhabi, let us know what you get up to in the comments!
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