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How
to Throw an Irish
Party!
Any
celebration can be converted into an Irish party, and
not just on St. Patrick's Day. In Ireland, the only time
they decorate with shamrocks, leprechauns, etc., is during
the St. Patrick's week parties. For other celebrations
the decorations pertain to the type of party, as for
a birthday, for example. The music for your Irish party
varies widely. It could be traditional Irish party songs,
instrumental Irish standards or harp music for a quiet
occasion. It could also be with a live band or recorded
Irish favorites by the Chieftains or other famous Irish
groups. The choice is yours.
Other
than Irish music, the two most important ingredients
are to have plenty of Irish food and drink. The most
obvious
difference would be a party for a woman versus a party
for a man. Some of the party ideas for a woman would
be a birthday, Mother's Day, wedding or baby shower;
and for
a man, a birthday, Father's Day, sports championship
or a stag party. Of course, there would be holidays or
celebrations
that would combine both, such as Christmas, New Year's
Eve, Valentines Day, wedding anniversary or an Irish
theme party for any day of the year.
My
sister gave me a suggestion of another party idea. She
once participated in a sort of 'international dining
club'
consisting of five couples. Each couple would take
turns hosting a dinner party on a monthly basis. The
host couple
would choose the country to feature, such as Ireland,
and they would be responsible for the main course and
the beverages.
The other couples would each bring a course, such as
an appetizer, soup, salad and dessert. This type of
party is great fun and a lot is learned about the country's
traditions
and food. Of course, you can dress in traditional costume,
too, if desired.
Depending
on which type of party you are hosting, we have a large
variety of recipes, from appetizers to
desserts, that will help you in choosing your menu.
By menu, I
do
not mean that the party would have to be a full course,
sit down dinner, unless that is your plan. In my
experience, a buffet is the most practical way to go.
With everything
prepared ahead, a buffet allows you, as the host
or hostess, to enjoy the company of your friends and
join
in the
festivities, whatever they may be.
Many
of the authentic Irish foods and ingredients for your
menu are available in our online
store and
in
our Irish
recipes section. After you have chosen the date
for your party, your first decision is to choose the
menu. If
you will be ordering imported Irish foods, you
should plan
your menu as early as possible, or at least two
weeks prior to your party date to allow time for food
delivery.
Below
is a list of sample menus for a few different types
of parties.
These
menus are just a sample of some of our Irish food recipes
and products in our online
store.
You may choose
to accompany your meats and cheeses with
savory Irish mustards, relishes, chutneys or sauces. You may also
prefer to purchase ready made cakes, cookies or other
products. I'm sure you will make wonderful
choices.
Once
you have your Irish party date and menu planned, it is
time to prepare your invitations. Be sure to include
the date and time,
mention
of the
Irish theme,
the menu and RSVP information, usually needed for a party with
food being served. You should plan to have slightly more
food servings
than the
number of guests
because you don't want to be caught short. However, too much additional
food is extra work and time consuming.
Party
decorations can be purchased at any local party
store or ordered on-line from ShindigZ.com.
 Specific holiday decorations are seasonal and it is best
to purchase them
as soon as possible
for the best selection. It is not necessary to include
St. Patrick's Day decor unless it is a St. Patrick's
Day party. You will have
a difficult time finding
them at any other time of the year. If you feel that
you must have something Irish, get some green craft
paper and
cut out some shamrock
shapes. You
could also hang orange, white and green streamers around
the room, to represent
the Irish flag; or buy some orange, white and green balloons
for the same affect.
Another idea is to purchase party plates, cups, tablecloths,
napkins and utensils in a combination of the
three Irish colors.
A
successful party is your goal and you should have a plan
in mind to keep your guests entertained, not that you
personally
have to
do the
entertaining.
Unless
you are going to a posh party and are dressed in formal attire,
most parties in Ireland are relaxed and laid back. The Irish
are very
sociable and hospitable
people and, I believe, the friendliest people in the world.
The parties that are the most fun reflect that type of
personality;
just enjoying
the company
of their friends and having 'good crac', which is Irish slang
for having a good time or fun. Keep the party lively with music,
dancing
or even
games, such as
an Irish trivia game.
Appoint
someone to be the bartender to insure that the drinks
are refreshed but always make sure that your guests do not
drive if
they have had
the dreaded 'one
too many'. You could even appoint someone who is a nondrinker
to chauffeur your guests home. The one thing that you must
avoid is
to have people
sitting around
looking bored - it can be catching. You are not a matchmaker
but, if you have invited some singles, try to have about
the same number
of
women and
men. Being
the only single at a party of mostly couples can be very
awkward.
Well,
I hope you have a wonderful and fun Irish theme party;
and I would love to hear from
you letting me know how it
turned out.
If you
have
some of your
own good ideas, I would love to hear about those, too.
Sláinte!
Tyna
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