11 March 2026

Tourism event in House of Lords to celebrate St Patrick’s Day 2026

Tourism Ireland co-sponsored a special reception in the House of Lords in London today – as part of an extensive programme of St Patrick’s Day 2026 promotional activity in Great Britain and elsewhere around the world. The event, celebrating British Irish relations, was attended by members of the House of Commons and House of Lords, as well as leaders of the Irish community living in London and influential British travel trade and media contacts.

St Patrick’s Day offers a unique opportunity for tourism to the island of Ireland – with this time of year both attracting visitors to the island and being important for teeing up bookings for the season ahead through the heightened profile created. Over the coming week, Tourism Ireland will undertake a major programme of media, travel trade and consumer promotions to capitalise on Ireland’s heightened profile once again around 17th March. The organisation’s programme will span Great Britain, Mainland Europe, North America and Australia. 

A group of five people standing outdoors with the river Thames in the background.
Matthew Patrick MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office); Siobhan McManamy, Tourism Ireland; HE Martin Fraser, Ambassador of Ireland to the United Kingdom and Deirdre Fraser; and Frank Feighan TD, Minister of State for Public Procurement, Digitalisation and eGovernment, at a St Patrick’s reception in the House of Lords in London co-sponsored by Tourism Ireland.
Notes to Editors:
  • Tourism Ireland is the organisation responsible for promoting the island of Ireland overseas as a leading holiday destination.
  • In 2025, overseas tourism delivered over €6 billion to the island of Ireland.
  • Tourism Ireland’s international website is www.ireland.com, with 21 market sites available in 18 different countries, as well as one international site, in seven language versions around the world.
  • Tourism Ireland is an agency of the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment in Ireland and the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland.