Cork’s best-loved shops, restaurants and businesses will be celebrating the city’s St Patrick’s Festival in style this year, with a pledge to ‘go green’ in whatever way they can for the duration of the four-day festival.

Cork City Council, in association with Cork Business Association (CBA), is encouraging people to enjoy the best of Cork with a number of unique initiatives taking place to mark the Festival, including a food map, retail promotions, and free parking.

This year, for the first time, a Festival Food Map will showcase some of Cork’s best-loved restaurants and the special St Patrick’s Day-inspired dishes they will feature on their menus for the duration of the festival. The Food Map will be available to download on www.corkstpatricksfestival.ie. Participating restaurants include Electric, Isaacs, Elbow Lane, Market Lane and Jacques, among many other Cork favourites.

Speaking on the various initiatives, Damien O’Mahony of Cork City Council said: “The city is open for business this St Patrick’s Festival to welcome the thousands of locals and visitors who will throng the streets for the duration of the four-day Festival.”

“Cork City Council is offering free parking over the Festival to welcome people to the city, with a free Park ‘n’ Ride on Saturday 14^th and Tuesday 17^th March, and free parking at the two Council car parks (Paul Street and North Main Street) on Saturday 14^th between the hours of 10am and 12 noon. No parking discs will be required on Sunday 15^th and Tuesday 17^th March,” added Mr. O’Mahony.

Much-loved craft shop Vibes and Scribes is sponsoring  a “Best Shop Window” competition and will reward the ‘best-dressed’ window in Cork with a €100 gift voucher, which CBA will match. All businesses are welcome to participate.

Taking the pledge to ‘go green’ very literally, high-end department store Brown Thomas will be lighting up their building in green for a week.

For more on the Cork St Patrick’s Festival, please see www.corkstpatricksfestival.ie