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St. Patrick's Day Special Edition

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It's the time of year when everyone is Irish! Here's information on a grand tour of Ireland as well as news of St. Patrick's Day fun to be had right here at home in the States.

Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland's "Giant Irish Adventure"
Here's a 12-day exploration of Ireland that's geared to those who like to be active. Participants will tour all over the Emerald Isle and see how people lived in times gone by through visits to castles, fortresses, beehive huts, ring forts, manor houses and dozens of other attractions. Some of the places the tour visits are the Cliffs of Moher, the Giant's Causeway, Killarney National Park, the island of Skellig Michael, the Rock of Cashel (also called St. Patrick's Rock) and Blarney Castle where there'll be a chance to kiss the famed Blarney Stone. There'll be a visit to the tomb on Knocknaree Mountain, which is thought to be the final resting place of Celtic warrior Queen Maeve, and an overnight stay in Abbeyglen Castle. Tour group members will take daily guided walks and hikes and have the option to do things like sea kayaking, biking and horseback riding and of course there'll be lots of visits to restaurants and pubs. For more information on the Giant Irish Adventure and other tours offered by Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland go to https://vagabondtoursofireland.com

A Salute to St. Paddy in Decatur, Alabama
Decatur will be having an Irish Celebration fit for the whole family on St. Patrick's Day, March 17. The fun starts at 3:00 pm with a big street party where there'll be family-oriented activities like face painting, live music and a snow cone truck. At 6:00 pm it'll be time for adults to party without the kids as the pub crawl begins; participating restaurants will include The Brick Deli, Moe's Original Bar B Que, Mellow Mushroom, The Railyard, Cross-Eyed Owl Brewing Company, Simp McGhee's and Bank Street Grill. Those who buy a drink at each establishment can enter to win a merchant's prize basket and there'll be an after party from 9:00 to midnight. Decatur is located about half an hour from Huntsville and less than an hour from Alabama's music mecca, Muscle Shoals. For more information visit http://decaturcvb.org

McHenry, Illinois "Shamrock the Fox"
There's always a big St. Patrick's Day party in McHenry, which is located about 60-miles outside of Chicago. Since St. Patrick's Day falls on a Saturday this year McHenry's "Shamrock the Fox" celebration will take place all weekend, March 17-18, and include a parade on Saturday, a dyeing green of the Fox River, green beer and music from traditional Irish bagpipers. Gina Gonzalez and the Wingmen, Pirate Radio, Anthem, Yours Truly and Gone Country will also perform. A 5k "Shamrock Shuffle" and a kid's fun run will take place, and the Blarney Island party bar in Grass Lake will be roaring all weekend long. Many McHenry businesses will be in a St. Patrick's Day mood too as they offer discounts and food and drink specials throughout the celebration. For more information go to http://www.visitmchenrycounty.com

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