If you are fed up celebrating St Patrick's Day in Ireland, and fancy getting away to make a long weekend of the festival, then look no further than Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the northeast of England - the home of the Geordies.
Both Ryanair and Aer Lingus fly direct to the party capital of England and the journey is so short that the flight attendants won't even have time to flog their stuff, as you will land in Newcastle Airport less than an hour after departing Dublin.
A short hop on the metro will bring you straight into the heart of the city centre or if you are anxious to get checked into your hotel, a taxi ride will take you in a little quicker for less than £15.
As you roll into the 'Toon', you are welcomed by the heartbeat of the region, the cathedral that is St James' Park, which sits proudly on top of the sloping city and watches over the old town, which meanders down to the majestic Tyne River.
In sporting parlance, Newcastle is a one-club town, which means that everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet, and even if you have no interest in soccer, you cannot help but feel the passion the locals exude for their club.
In fact, the city's mood can often be determined by how the team are doing and while they are struggling at the moment, the benefit of this for the tourist is that it is quite easy to get a ticket to experience, first hand, the magic of the Geordie faithful when Saturday comes.
As it turns out, Newcastle United will be away in Hull for the St Patrick's weekend but that may not be a bad thing if you are planning to actually see some of the wonderful attractions that the city and the surrounding region have to offer.
However, if you really want to go to the stadium, the club provides tours of the ground and even when empty, the 52,000-capacity arena really is worth the trip alone.
There is only one word to describe Friday and Saturday nights in Newcastle and that is party with a capital P. The locals live for the weekend and if you want to blend in with the crowd, the golden rule is don't wear a jacket or coat, especially if it is freezing.
The night starts as soon as darkness falls in these parts, so the best advice is to get out there early and prepare for a night to remember.
All roads lead to the Quayside, where you will find some fantastic restaurants, cocktail bars and nightclubs that cater for every taste and age group. The Bigg Market is where the younger crowd go and while it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, it is certainly worth a visit early in the evening before things get, well, let's say, a bit frantic.
Bar ethics are not quite like they are in Ireland so if you see a huge crowd leaving a pub, it doesn't mean that they are not enjoying themselves, it's just time to go to the next place. You'll get used to it quick enough.
And while the English appear to have some sort of problem celebrating their own patron saint on St George's Day, the Geordies have absolutely no worries celebrating with the Irish for good old St Pat - a match made in heaven, you might say.
The Guinness marketing machine will be in full flow and every pub will be decked top to tail in Paddy's Day paraphernalia, but don't let that put you off.
In fact, with your Irish accent, you'll be quite the novelty act to the locals who are a friendly bunch year round - even when the football team is silently breaking their hearts and crushing their dreams.
By Sunday, there is every chance that you will not have seen a thing other than the inside of a pub or nightclub. So if you are staying on until St Patrick's Day proper on Tuesday, use Sunday and Monday to try and get around the city, out to the coast and beyond.
For such a small city, there is so much to do, and we haven't even mentioned the Metro Centre yet, which is touted as the largest shopping centre in Europe. But before you go, think of the baggage charges in the airport for your trip home, even if the Euro is making everything seem ridiculously cheap.
And by Tuesday, St Patrick's Day, you'll be ready to start all over again.
There is something very special about spending St Patrick's Day away from Ireland.
Newcastle has a very big Irish community and they celebrate in style every 17 March - none of that Saturday before malarkey for these old timers.
For the Newcastle Irish, St Patrick's Day starts at 10 o'clock mass where you can collect your fresh shamrock, flown in especially for the festivities. From there, the convoy of coaches ferry the blessed ones down to the Tyneside Irish Centre (beside the stadium) where they will be joined by the non-believers and those that forgot to set the alarm clock.
The 'craic agus ceol' starts up immediately inside, where local musicians play in every corner of the two floors of the club, while young ones speaking in Geordie tongues dance every type of jig as their specially commissioned ringlets bounce along to the beat of the bodhrán.
And while the Irish club is meant to be for members only, they will normally let you in once you make a token donation at the front door. Or just tell them you are a friend of Gerry Lynch - trust me, it works.
Meanwhile, across the road in Rosie's Bar, the younger crowd start early and by 2.00pm there will be standing room only as the jukebox belts out every Van Morrison, Pogues and Dubliners tune in the songbook.
Some of the traditional musicians will come over and entertain the non-members throughout the day. And others even come up from Sunderland for the experience. You never know, maybe Ireland exile Andy Reid might pop in with his banjo this year.
Ed Leahy
Five Things to See
1) The Tyne River Bridges: A magnificent contrast of industrial and contemporary span the Tyne River at either end of the city. The city's most famous landmark, the Tyne Bridge is a compression arch suspended-deck bridge, which is almost 200 metres long from pier to pier. It dates back to 1928 and while it is only about a third of the size of the world famous Sydney Harbour Bridge, it pre-dates its southern hemisphere cousin by four years.
Meanwhile, the Gateshead Millennium Bridge was commissioned to celebrate, guess what, yes, the Millennium and it is truly one of the most fantastically designed bridges that you will encounter in any city in the world. It is a pedestrian bridge that also caters for cyclists with an elevated curved track across the river. The design concept of the bridge is an eye blinking, which becomes evident as you see it manoeuvred for boats to pass underneath. The bridge is rapidly becoming one of Newcastle's major tourist attractions and it looks even better at night time when it is beautifully illuminated.
2) The Angel of the North: The guardian of Newcastle and Gateshead, the Angel of the North was a very daring addition to the northeastern skyline. The Angel is a steel sculpture standing 20 metres tall with a wingspan of 54 metres and sits proudly on the outskirts of the city on a hill above the main motorway south.
As a result of its proximity to the motorway, it is often regarded as the most viewed tourist attraction in the world. Many locals were critical of the sculpture when it was first erected back in 1994, but it has now become a huge source of pride for the region, as was proved in 1998 when a group of Newcastle fans had a custom-made Newcastle United jersey draped over the Angel. www.angelofthenorth.org.uk
3) Sage Concert Hall: Sitting pretty on the Gateshead side of the river, the Sage concert hall is an amazing looking building that opened in 2004 as a centre for musical education, performance and conferences. It might be described as a mix between the Sydney Opera House and the Guggenheim museum and it is best viewed from the Newcastle side of the river to really appreciate the structure of curvy glass and steel. And if you fancy taking in a concert, Moya Brennan from Clannad plays the venue on St Patrick's Day. www.thesagegateshead.org
4) St James' Park: The heartbeat of the city, St James' Park sits at the top end of the city, about 500 metres north of the central train station. The stadium has been gradually modernised over the past 20 years and now is one of the most impressive stadiums in the English Premier League, housing some 52,000 supporters on match day. If you don't get to a match, go along for a tour of the stadium. www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk/
5) The Baltic Mill: Housed in a landmark industrial building on the south bank of the River Tyne, the Baltic is the biggest gallery of its kind in the world - presenting a dynamic, diverse and international programme of contemporary visual art. The Baltic rotates collections throughout the year and currently houses the latest offering from Yoko Ono until 15 March. www.balticmill.com/
Five Places to Eat
1) Blackfriars Restaurant: A traditional English restaurant in the heart of Newcastle. Dating back to 1239, it claims to be the oldest dining room in the UK. The restaurant is very well regarded in the northeast of England, priding itself on the use of local produce. It has won many awards over the years, including 'Best Roast Dinner in the UK' from Kevin Spacey. www.blackfriarsrestaurant.co.uk
2) Café 21: Located in Trinity Gardens on the Quayside, chef restaurateur Terry Laybourne's Café 21 is one of the best restaurants in Newcastle. www.cafetwentyone.co.uk
3) Chinatown: Newcastle boasts a high quality, vibrant Chinatown in the Gallowgate area of the city. Sitting in the shadow of St James' Park, the area is choc-a-bloc with all ranges of oriental cuisine.
4) The Strawberry: More of a pub than a restaurant, this is the perfect place for a pre-match meal and a bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale as it is no more than 10 yards from St James' Park. Portions are substantial and, coming from Ireland, you really will not believe the prices on their menu. The pub is also full of Newcastle United memorabilia and the landlord usually has some classic videos playing on the big screen up on the roof garden. www.pubsnewcastle.co.uk/Strawberry.html
5) Jesmond Dene House: If you want to get out of the City Centre, then Jesmond is only a short hop in a taxi. Jesmond has its own neighbourhood scene of specialist shops, lively bars and cafés. And the Jesmond Dene House is the perfect place for a quality meal at very reasonable prices. www.jesmonddenehouse.co.uk
Five Places to Drink/Dance
1) Offshore 44: One of dozens of lively bars in and around the Quayside. Like most pubs in Newcastle, keep an eye on their specials for great value drinks. Jugs of Pina Colada or Long Island Ice Tea are a speciality.
2) Buffalo Joe's: Located on the banks of the Tyne, Buffalo Joe's is a favourite for hen nights and stag dos and anyone really who is out for a good night. Drinks are served by Cowboys and Cowgirls who get all Coyote Ugly and dance on the bar at various times throughout the night. Watch out for the Bucking Bronco, it may seem like a good idea at the time, but everyone has video mobile phones these days.
3) Bigg Market: A veritable strip of pubs that runs the length of the Bigg Market. Get down there early for a look but you will need bags of energy to last the night.
4) Sea/Baja Beach Club: Two main nightclubs down on the Quayside. Take your pick. Sea might be considered the classier option but both places will be lively at the weekend.
5) Revolution Bar: Beautifully renovated, this former bank building is the place to go if you like a nice atmosphere away from the madness of the Quayside. It also helps if you like vodka. They have their own house label and their range puts the Absolut boys to shame - for chocolate lovers, check out the Milky Bar and After Eight flavours. And no, the porridge vodka is not a recommended breakfast substitute. www.revolutionbars.co.uk/newcastleut
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