If you are looking for a fun theme for your supper group, dinner club, or just want to entertain at home, an Irish party is sure to wow your guests.
A dinner party with an Irish twist is not just great for St. Patrick’s Day — it is the perfect excuse to dress up, chow down, and get your jig on.
Whether it is for a birthday, a dress-up event, or just for fun, these Irish party décor, games, and food ideas will stay in style all year long.
1. Irish Décor
Decking your home out in green and gold is not just fun — setting the scene with Irish décor will provide an ultra-immersive experience for your guests.
Celtic Knots, Irish Sayings, and Lucky Charms
Consider embroidering a few irish pillows or tapestries with Irish sayings, blessings, or symbols to get your guests into the Irish spirit or you can order them online. Scatter them on your couch and hang them on your wall for an extra-authentic touch.
Send your guests home with some Irish party favors — like shamrock-shaped cookies or small lucky trinkets and charms. Giving your guests a parting gift will provide them with a souvenir from the party and make them feel lucky to have attended.
Clover, Greenery, and Flowers
Channel your inner Irishman by setting up an Irish-themed tablescape. Try to incorporate as much green and gold as possible with green and yellow botanicals and fresh clover sprays. Bells of Ireland is an essential Irish botanical that will add a touch of Irish luck to your arrangement. Low-maintenance oxalis — or purple-leaf shamrock — is widely available in most garden centers.
While it may seem a little unorthodox, ornamental cabbage can be a highly decorative addition as your centerpiece. A cabbage’s bright green leaves compliment flowers like hellebores and carnations — simply de-leaf a few heads and add them to your flower arrangement.
2. An Irish Feast
A delicious and hearty Irish dish is the perfect comfort food — and it will not break the bank. Traditional Irish meals like Irish stew, corned beef, and colcannon use budget-friendly ingredients and everyday pantry staples.
Soda Bread
Traditional Irish soda bread recipes have been passed down through generations. Soda bread is an easy recipe that relies on baking soda to leaven instead of yeast.
With only four ingredients — buttermilk, baking soda, salt, and flour — soda bread is the quickest bread to make as it requires no baking. Soda bread is best when slathered in creamy Irish butter.
Irish Stew
Irish stew is probably Ireland’s most beloved and well-known dish. Traditional Irish stew uses inexpensive vegetables like carrots, onions, and potatoes. It was a way to cook tougher, cheaper cuts of meat.
While most modern Irish stews use lamb, it traditionally used kid goat or mutton. Herbs like parsley, bay, and thyme are added to enhance the flavor. Because it’s filling, hearty, and comforting, Irish stew is perfect for the cold winter months.
3. Irish-Themed Games
After your guests have feasted on traditional Irish fare, why not round out the evening with some fun Irish-themed games to keep the good times rolling?
Irish “Heads Up”
Irish “Heads Up” has the same premise as the original game, but you can tailor it to your Irish theme. Simply get some index cards and write a name of a famous Irish person on each one.
To make this game extra fun, tape the cards to your guests’ foreheads as they arrive — they make great conversation starters!
Quoits
If you prefer something a little more traditional, play a few games of quoits.
Quoits — or ring toss — is traditionally played by tossing a horseshoe onto a spike. If you are worried about your fragile décor or furniture, you can substitute the horseshoes for rubber rings or rope.
