Celebrate (Actual) St. Patrick’s Day in Hoboken/Jersey City

This Saturday, March 17th is Lá Fhéile Pádraig—the actual Feast of St. Patrick.

That wretched green spectacle a few weeks ago known as LepreCon was quite a different animal. While a lot of us spend most of the “St. Patrick’s Season” hunkered down waiting for the storm to pass, REAL St. Patrick’s Day is always a great occasion to get out and celebrate with friends—whether they’re Irish or not. Winter is waning, Spring is a few days away and we could all stand to get out of the house for awhile.

On our side of the river, the added bonus is that the epicenter of all regional belligerence and debauchery on this day has shifted from our shores across the Hudson, where the New York St. Patrick’s Day Parade takes all the glory—and all the hassle that comes with it. Over here, there’s plenty of fun to be had without the headaches. Leave the Green Beer in the gutter where it belongs, and follow our lead…

SPORT

The day quite literally kicks off with Six Nations Rugby, and some madman scheduled the pivotal England v. Ireland match for St. Patrick’s Day. Ireland have already claimed the tournament championship, but England are unlikely to roll over at home and let the Irish take the “Grand Slam.” It should be a vicious battle between the two bitter rivals.

Best bets for enjoying the match are Mulligan’s (159 First Street) in Hoboken and The Hutton (225 Hutton) in Jersey City.

Don’t miss the Six Nations Rugby Championship. We’ll be showing most games here @thehuttonjc. The Guinness will be plentiful! #sixnationsrugby #irelandrepresent #getitdone #maketheheightsgreatagain #jcmakeityours

A post shared by The Hutton (@thehuttonjc) on Feb 3, 2018 at 12:31pm PST

FOOD & DRINK

Carpe Diem (1405 Grand Street) is a phenomenal stop for an authentic Irish Breakfast. Then there’s a fantastic menu of Irish specialties on offer throughout the day. Doors open at 11:00.

The only spot you need for your St. Patrick’s day celebration. The best corned beef, Guinness and friends! #cornbeef #stpatricksday #Guinness #hoboken #greatGuinness #carpediemhoboken #seizetheday

A post shared by Carpe Diem Hoboken (@carpediemhoboken) on Mar 13, 2018 at 12:57pm PDT

Looking for proper Fish & Chips? Halifax (W Hotel) is your best bet on the Hoboken Waterfront. Also check out Hooked JC (467 Communipaw) for their phenomenal seafood selection.

Moran’s (501 Garden) has their kitchen humming along, making it an ideal spot to stop in and get cozy for the day.

For dinner, you can’t go wrong with Court Street (61 Sixth Street) for Corned Beef & Cabbage (or a Corned Beef Sandwich if the entree is too daunting). The restaurant opens at 4:30.

The Madison Bar & Grill also features Corned Beef & Cabbage, Corned Beef Sandwiches and Happy Hour Specials from open to close.

CRAIC AGUS CEOL

For entertainment, The Hutton will be featuring Twiddlin’ Thumbs with Padraig O’Maolalaigh! from 10 p.m. to Midnight.

In Hoboken, Willie McBride’s (616 Grand Street) will host Agus, followed by the Nerds. Meanwhile the Dave Lockhart Band and Lloyd United will be bringing the craic agus ceol to Finnegan’s (734 Willow Ave), playing authentic Irish music. The seisún starts at 3 p.m.

Paddy’s Day: Open at 11. Music, food and plenty of pints!! #hoboken #supportsmallbusiness #StPaddysDay

A post shared by Finnegan’s Pub (@finneganshoboken) on Mar 13, 2018 at 1:30pm PDT

The bars along Hoboken’s First Street, a.k.a. “Irish Row,” are bound to be bustling. The Dubliner (96 First Street), The Shannon (106 First Street), McSwiggan’s (110 First Street), Marty O’Brien’s (Bloomfield & First) and the aforementioned Mulligan’s are all great bets. For one of the best pints of the black stuff on this side of the Atlantic (let alone the Hudson), be sure to stop off at The Nag’s Head (359 First Street). Just don’t ask for a shamrock on top… it’s like putting a mustache on the Mona Lisa.

Night cap it at Northern Soul (700 First Street), and you’ve had a hell of a St. Paddy’s Day Bar Crawl.

Lá fhéile Pádraig sona dhuit!

Pace yourself…