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St Patrick’s Day on the 17th March which is now literally just around the corner. So what better way to kick of the month than to feature a St Patrick’s Day dinner party with traditional Irish comfort food.
If you are unsure how to plan a dinner party, the party planning checklist will put you on the right track.
Preparing for this dinner party was wonderful, with the aroma of the Irish lamb stew and Irish soda bread spreading throughout the house. You don’t have to be Irish to enjoy and appreciate this delicious meal.
When guests arrive, treat them to some beer and nibbles, but keep this light as the main meal is very hearty and filling.
If your guests are not a fan of stout (as this can be quite heavy for some), maybe give them some green beer. If you are keen on making some green beer we will cover that in a post coming up in the next few days.
Food & Drinks
If you are holding a dinner party, step 7 of the party planning checklist, the food and drinks, is the most important and is crucial that you get this right.
A traditional meal to serve on St Patrick’s Day would be Irish lamb stew and Irish soda bread. The Irish lamb stew contains lamb, potatoes, carrots, onions and leeks and is not only tasty and filling but very nutritious.
At that to some freshly baked Irish soda bread and wash it down with a pint of Guinness, your guests are going to be incredibly happy.
Maybe finish off the dinner with an Irish coffee (made with Whiskey) and/or a refreshing glass of Baileys. I bet you are keen to host your St Patrick’s day dinner party now!
Party Decorations
Decorating for an Irish theme party is easy, just stick with green and you won’t go too far wrong.
St Patrick’s Day is known for people celebrating with outlandish t-shirts, hats, scarfs, flags, and Irish symbols, but if you want to keep the dinner party to a more “formal affair”, you can still keep the Irish feel without the antics.
It wouldn’t hurt to have an Irish symbol of some sort just for fun, but otherwise keep with the green tones and you will still have the Irish flair.
Choose some flowers, and candles, then pick out some green napkins, napkin holders, and plates and you have a stunning yet inexpensive dinner table.
Preparing Great Music At A St Patrick’s Day Dinner Party
A dinner party wouldn’t be complete without some background music.
It would be good to throw in some “Irish fiddle” music, but you don’t want to overdo it.
Instead why not pick some music from your favorite Irish artists such as Sinéad O Connor, U2, The Pogues or Van Morrison.
Did you like the look of the Irish lamb stew? You can find the recipe here.
You can view the Irish soda bread recipe here.
Have you held any dinner parties in the past for St Patrick’s Day?
What has been the favourite dish that you served?
What are your thoughts on serving a traditional Irish lamb stew with Irish soda bread?
Please leave me a comment below with your thoughts, I love to hear your feedback.
If you like this article, please consider sharing it with your friends, I would really appreciate it.
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Thanks for reading
Catherine
I haven’t served lamb stew before, but I love the soda bread.
Thanks for popping in Lenni. Give the stew a try, it is delicious, especially with the soda bread 🙂
And there I was thinking St Patricks Day was all about getting drunk! 🙂
Great ideas here Catherine. May have to try making the stew, that looks very nice.
Ha ha…I am sure there will be plenty of drinking happening on St Patrick’s too Matt!! Definitely try the stew, it is so easy to make and I will be posting the recipe here soon 😉
Catherine, well done on the St. Paddy’s Day information. By the way, I absolutely love that leprechaun with the fiddle!
Thanks Mike. There are a few more St Patrick’s Day posts to come, so please pop back. That Leprechaun came back with me from my travels around Ireland, how could I possible resist!!