Munich’s St. Patrick’s Day has been taking place in our city since 1996 and has exceeded all expectations every year since. The first parade in the 1990s was expected to attract a few hundred spectators – in the end, 3,000 turned up. Since then, the festivities surrounding the Irish national holiday have grown and grown, and today the parade alone consists of around 1,500 participants. And even away from the parade, there are celebrations with a varied program on several stages. Be there when Munich’s greenest weekend celebrates its 30th birthday.
A small community with a big impact
What began modestly has grown over the years to become the largest St. Patrick’s Day parade on the European mainland. And that despite the fact that the Irish community is relatively small, with only about 600 members. But they have recognized the similarities between Ireland and Bavaria: conviviality, hospitality, beautiful landscapes, modern cities, and a love of their own culture. But the most important thing they have in common, jokes musician and restaurateur Paul Daly, is of course beer. The former Grand Marshal of St. Patrick’s Day will once again be on stage this year with his Paul Daly Band and the current mayor, Dieter Reiter.
The latter is also acting as patron of Munich’s St. Patrick’s Day for its 30th anniversary. Dieter Reiter emphasizes that he is happy to do so, as St. Patrick’s Day is part of Munich’s identity. The Irish community in our city may be small, but it is extremely committed and active. Year after year, it organizes the volunteer-run parade to celebrate its own history and culture and bring it closer to others. But despite all this commitment, Munich does not have an Irish twin city – until now. Dieter Reiter promised Paul Daly that he would bring Dublin up for discussion as a possible twin city in the new city council.
Munich St. Patrick’s Day: Program for the 30th anniversary
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St. Patrick’s Day itself is on March 17 and is always celebrated in Munich on the weekend before. This year, the festival falls on March 14 and 15, with an Irish concert being held in the Ludwigskirche on Friday, March 13. The real fun starts on Saturday at 11 a.m. on Odeonsplatz and the stage at the Feldherrenhalle. In addition to street food, you can expect various dance and music performances. In the evening, the accompanying mass will take place in Ludwigskirche and “Night of the Celts” in Schlachthof. There, in the tavern, you can celebrate Celtic heritage together with Scots and Irish.
The festival reaches its climax on Sunday with the parade. This is led by St. Patrick himself with the Grand Marshal in the Parade Princess. St. Patrick has been embodied by Munich’s Wolfgang Schramm since 2007. The Grand Marshal is Alison Moffaf-McLynn and the Parade Princess is Lara O’Sullivan, who was born in Munich but grew up in an Irish family. She also recognizes the similarities between the Irish and the Bavarians: both cultures “live tradition without stagnating in it,” says Lara. She wants to represent this as Parade Princess, as she combines both Irish and Bavarian heritage.
The parade runs from Münchner Freiheit over a distance of 2.5 kilometers to Odeonsplatz, where the celebrations continue. There will be stages at the Feldherrenhalle and on Ludwigsstraße, where you can once again enjoy musical and dance performances. The Paul Daly Band will be there together with Dieter Reiter, as well as the Cécilí Band, which has been playing at Munich’s St. Patrick’s Day since 1996. You can look forward to a cheerful weekend in March full of optimism and joie de vivre, which is just right for welcoming spring.