St Patrick’s Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick, is a highlight of the year and the perfect time to celebrate Irish identity, and festivities are not restricted to Ireland, as people with Irish heritage across the globe join together to remember their connection to the Emerald Isle. St Patrick’s Day is always celebrated on 17th March, the anniversary of Saint Patrick’s death, and is a public holiday in Ireland.

Here at Aran Sweater Market, we love any opportunity to let our hair down and celebrate our Irish roots, and our beautiful range of authentic Irish sweaters are ideal to wear or give as gifts when you are commemorating the real meaning of being Irish. We’ve picked our favourite Aran knits for St Patrick’s day, and once you’ve chosen the perfect piece for you, you can celebrate your heritage each time you wear it, all year round.

Connect With Your Irish Heritage

Whether you’re attending a St Patrick’s Day Parade in full fancy dress or popping into your local Irish Pub for a pint of Guinness, you’ll see plenty of people celebrating in traditional Irish Aran knitwear. The stitches used in authentic Aran sweaters and scarves tells tales of the ancient Irish lifestyle, with each representing an aspect of Irish heritage. For example, the Diamond Stitch represents wealth, and the cable stitch represents love, while moss stitch, based on the beautiful Carageenan moss that served as a food source in desperate times, represents nature and reminds the wearer of the beautiful Irish coastline, where the bright green moss grows.

It is no surprise that our Aran knitwear is so popular with wearers across the world, since it creates a connection with the ancestors who first created these practical and attractive garments. Although most people now choose Aran knitwear because of its classic style, it is still a great practical choice, protecting the wearer against adverse weather and showing off an Irish heritage. In days gone by, fishermen who had drowned at sea could even be identified by the specific pattern of their clan knitwear, and this demonstrates the importance of these unique garments.

Our Top Picks For St Patrick’s Day

St Patrick’s Day is a great occasion across Ireland, and every local community will be celebrating in style. If you’re far away from your Irish roots, why not celebrate with a visit to your closest Irish Pub, where there is sure to be a knees-up on the cards, or throw a St Patrick’s Day party for your loved ones, and tuck into some traditional Irish dishes together. Many big cities across the world hold their own St Patrick’s Day Parades, and you will find all manor of fancy dress, face-painting and entertainment here. 

We love to wear our classic Aran knitwear all year round, but especially on St Patrick’s Day as we celebrate the unique heritage behind it. Here are our top picks for St Patrick’s Day this year, so that you can embrace the occasion in style:

• Three Shamrocks Merino Scarf. You can celebrate your Irish roots all winter with this beautiful and subtle scarf, made from the softest Irish Merino Wool and decorated with the three shamrocks design. The Three Shamrocks Merino Scarf features classic Aran stitches, is available in cream, green and blue, and is a great choice to keep you warm when you join the local St Patrick’s Day Parade.

• Merino Wool Shamrock Hat. The shamrock is synonymous with Irish folklore, and this hat is instantly recognisable as a representation of Irish heritage. Perfect for a St Patrick’s Day Parade or a pint with your friends or family, this hat comes in green, white or navy, with complementary coloured shamrocks. Made in Ireland, from 100% Merino Wool, your Merino Wool Shamrock Hat features the popular Aran Cable stitch and is the perfect way to show off your Irish connections, wherever you are celebrating St Patrick’s Day.

• ClanAran Range. Getting in touch with your roots is even easier with our ClanAran range, and you can get into the mood for St Patrick’s Day with a scarf or sweater that is designed to perfectly reflect your personal Irish heritage. Our range includes more than 200 traditional Irish names, with each unique pattern featured on many items including sweaters, scarves, ponchos and throws, so you can find extra special gifts for your loved ones to celebrate the occasion, too. Most of our ClanAran range comes in classic cream and is instantly recognisable as authentically Irish due to the complex and beautiful patterns created in carefully selected Aran stitches. 

• Super Soft Cabled Shawl. If you like the classic look and want to celebrate your Irish roots in a subtle way, you’ll love this gorgeous Super Soft Cabled Shawl in Meadow Green. It’s a beautiful, traditional garment that is just right for the spring and fall, and the luscious shade of green is the perfect colour to evoke images of Ireland. Tradition has it that wearing green makes the wearer invisible to leprechauns, who are liable to pinch those that they can see during the celebrations, and this legend means that you may be the subject of pinching by your nearest and dearest if you aren’t wearing the colour most associated with this fair Isle. This tradition appears to have emerged in America in the 1700s, and although it is now an accepted part of the St Patrick’s Day festivities, we must advise against pinching strangers! The shawl also comes in several other stunning colours if you prefer, and it’ll be sure to draw attention on St Patrick’s Day and all year round.

• Women’s Turtleneck Cable Knit Sweater. When you really want to celebrate St Patrick’s Day but also want to keep warm and cosy, this Women’s Turtleneck Cable Knit Sweater is a great choice. It’s available in several gorgeous colours, but the Green Marl is our top pick for St Patrick’s Day celebrations. It’s thick and chunky, featuring the popular Cable stitch to represent the ropes used by the fisherman in years gone by, and the oversized collar is both stylish and snug.

• Lightweight Traditional Aran Mens Wool Sweater. Our favourite choice for men on St Patrick’s Day is this classic Lightweight Traditional Mens Wool Sweater, ideally suited to the spring time celebration as an extra layer for any casual or smart outfit – it can even be worn under your suit jacket if you want to celebrate St Patrick somewhere classy. This is a versatile style that can be worn everyday, and it includes the Honeycomb, Cable and Diamond stitches, representing success and luck as well as your Irish ancestry. This is a really traditional selection, worn by the fishermen of Ireland for many years and picked up by Vogue in the 1950s, making it a truly stylish choice worldwide. The attractive Moss Green colour is the best choice for a St Patrick’s Day celebration, but it also comes in several other great colours and includes a signed and stamped certificate of Authenticity.

• Kids Aran Poncho and Merino Wool Shamrock Sweater. Of course, the children will be celebrating St Patrick’s Day, too, and they’ll be wanting to get into the spirit of the occasion as well. We adore the Kids Aran Poncho in Kiwi Green, which your little imps will love. It’s made of 100% pure Merino wool to keep your little one warm and dry, and features a classic Aran design and colourful buttons that look great. The Kids Merino Wool Shamrock Sweater is another great choice, with beautiful Aran stitches in classic cream, embellished with the traditional green shamrock design. This is perfect for little ones, as the natural and organic fibres help to regulate body temperature, and it’s the ideal way to be sure that your kids are involved in the celebrations on St Patrick’s Day, too.

At Aran Sweater Market, we will be making the most of St Patrick’s Day and we would love to hear how you’ve celebrated, too!

Celebrate St Patrick’s Day With Aran Knitwear From Aran Sweater Market

If you are in Ireland, you can visit one of our stores in the Aran Islands, Galway, Killarney or Dublin to choose your favourite hand-knits, and we also have an extensive online store to cater for customers worldwide. We will always be happy to talk to you about your order, to help you to make the right choice and select your Clan with ease. 

Browse our catalogue today to find beautiful Aran Sweaters, ponchos and scarves, as well as traditional hats and caps, unique items for the home, and clothing and toys for babies and children. We are proud that our authentically Irish Aran knitwear is traditional, wearable and can be cherished forever, and we look forward to raising a glass on St Patrick’s Day to all those in Aran across the globe.