Hosting an Irish-Themed Party

Hosting an Irish party isn’t just for St. Patrick’s Day - though it’s the perfect occasion for one! Birthdays, family reunions, and even a big Notre Dame game can call for an Irish-themed party. At Flaherty’s, we’re experts in both Irish culture and celebrating! So we thought we’d share some of our best tips for hosting an Irish party for any occasion.

Irish Party Foods

When hosting an Irish-themed party, the first thing you’ll want to lock in is the menu! It’s essential to have plenty of snacks for your guests - especially if you’ll be serving drinks!

Irish Soda Bread is a classic Irish dish that’s especially versatile for parties. This bread carried much of Ireland through the potato famine, which earns it a place at any Irish gathering. It’s easy to make, and simply delicious - which means it works well with any flavors! A classic recipe can be found here, with just four ingredients needed. Don’t underestimate how delicious fresh bread with butter can be. We love serving soda bread warm, straight out of the oven, with a generous spread of Irish butter like Kerrygold. Or, you can always cut it into chunks to enjoy with your favorite dips!

Put an Irish twist on a classic dip with a Guinness beer cheese dip! Beer cheese dip is a gameday favorite, and using Guinness gives this dip a delicious Irish twist. This slow-cooker recipe is perfect for busy hosts, so you can make the dip ahead and focus on 

And, of course, we can’t talk about Irish foods without suggesting you serve corned beef and cabbage. Many folks don’t know, but corned beef and cabbage is actually an Irish-American staple. Back in Ireland, beef was expensive, but bacon was cheap. Here in the States, Irish immigrants found that the opposite was true! So if you’re aiming for a truly authentic dish straight from the Emerald Isle, a bacon and cabbage dish like this one is a great choice! But if you’re celebrating Irish-American roots, you can’t go wrong with corned beef and cabbage.

Irish Party Desserts

Every party needs a few sweet treats! Here at Flaherty’s, we’re experts in that particular area. Our recipes are all developed by the Flaherty family, who moved to chilly Minnesota from Ireland back in 1927. 

Our Emerald Isle Toffee, like all our toffees, starts with a base of Kerrygold Irish butter. We use more butter than sugar in our toffee recipe, so it’s rich and sweet, and above all, it’s tender! While our toffee has that signature “snap” when you bite into it, it’s never hard or sticky. Emerald Isle toffee is topped with creamy milk chocolate and toasted pecans, but we have an Irish Butter Toffee for every sweet tooth, with dark chocolate, white chocolate, pecan and sea salt, cashew, and so many more.

We also have a great selection of other Irish-inspired candies, like our Irish Cremes, which pair creamy white chocolate with bright fruity flavors, and our Sweet n’ Salty selections, which add pretzels and nuts to a chocolate base to marry all those delicious flavors. But especially for an Irish party, we really recommend Aunt Edna’s Irish Butter Caramels, made from Aunt Edna’s family recipe and delicious Irish butter!

We love building out a sweet charcuterie board with our candies, fruits, nuts, and other favorite treats. It’s a great accompaniment to coffee or drinks after dinner!

Irish Party Drinks

The Irish have a reputation for delicious drinks, so any Irish-themed party should 

A good selection of Irish whiskey is an essential addition to any Irish gathering! Denny Flaherty himself loves Paddy’s Old Irish Whiskey, but there are so many delicious options. If you’ll have whiskey drinkers in attendance at your gathering, it may be a good idea to find a few bottles with different flavor profiles, so everyone has a drink that’s to their taste.

Guinness is an Irish favorite for a reason. This delicious stout is easy to find at most grocery stores - especially in March! - and is always a crowd pleaser. As many of you already know, pouring a Guinness correctly is the first step to enjoying it. Guinness themselves have released this guide to pouring a Guinness at home, so you can ensure every pint you serve to your guest has that signature Guinness “head.”

The Tom & Jerry is a classic Irish drink that was also enjoyed throughout the Midwest, particularly in the 60’s and 70’s. This delicious drink - a mix of Tom & Jerry batter, brandy, rum, and hot water or milk - is warm, creamy, and frothy, perfect for the drizzly grey days of March. The Tom & Jerry has seen a comeback in the last few years. How do we know? Because Flaherty’s original Tom & Jerry batter has been a favorite since the 1930’s! 

Another Flaherty family recipe to warm your bones is our Hot Buttered Rum. As always, we start with fresh Kerrygold Irish butter, and add a mix of sugar and spices that compliments the spicy vanilla notes of your favorite rum. (Our favorite is Bacardi Gold!) Mixed with hot water, the result is a rich, sweet drink that will leave your guests feeling warm and fuzzy!

Irish Party Decorations

A few decorations can go a long way towards making your party feel like it’s hosted on the Emerald Isle! 

You can’t go wrong with plenty of green, but don’t forget that the Irish flag has three colors. You don’t get to decorate with green and orange together very often, but an Irish themed party is one of those rare chances. Consider adding splashes of white and orange to your green decor in the form of table runners, cocktail napkins, and more. (Of course, if you’re celebrating a Notre Dame game, we encourage you to use navy and gold, instead!)

Shamrocks are more than just an Irish symbol - they’re a symbol of St. Patrick himself, harkening back to his lessons about the Holy Trinity using the three leaves of the shamrock. If you can find live shamrocks, they make great decorations! Note that, as houseplants, shamrocks tend to be a little theatrical. Their stems will droop dramatically if they go too long between waterings. Luckily, just like the Irish, they’re resilient plants that will perk back up quickly!

One special touch we like to add to Irish parties is the integration of Irish blessings. The Irish have coined dozens of pithy blessings, many of them designed to wish friends well - and make them laugh. As a community-minded people, the Irish love spreading these messages of protection and positivity to their guests, so you should consider doing the same! A few of our favorite Irish blessings:

• May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, And the rains fall soft upon your fields. And, until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.

• May your blessings outnumber the Shamrocks that grow. And may trouble avoid you wherever you go.

• May the roof above us never fall in. And the friends below it never fall out!

• If you're lucky enough to be Irish… You're lucky enough!

How Will You Plan Your Irish Party?

There are so many elements that go into planning a great Irish-themed party! Great food, sweet treats, delicious drinks, and cheerful decor are fun to plan, and even more fun to share with friends and family. Whether it’s for St. Patrick’s Day, an Irish birthday, or even a Notre Dame tailgate, these Irish party planning ideas will be sure to impress.

And of course, we recommend you start your Irish party planning with an order from Flaherty’s! A Hot Buttered Rum mix and a few Irish candies from our selection are the perfect “starter pack” for hosting an Irish-themed party of your own. They also make great hostess gifts, should you be lucky enough to score an invitation to a friend’s Irish-themed party!

Click here to shop Irish butter toffees, or here to shop Irish drink mixes, and remember Flaherty’s when you raise a glass and say “Sláinte!”