For many Irish people, finding a celebrated excuse to drink beer is the dream. With Oktoberfest having officially begun in Germany on September 21st and lasting until October 6th, we can be thankful that there are many Oktoberfest themed things to do both on campus and in Dublin that have extended those dates and allow us to savour German beer and food a little longer. Oktoberfest originated in Bavaria in the early 1800s and was initially organised to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The festival has since evolved into a festivity of German culture, with a particular emphasis on German food and drink. German fashion is also a simply wunderbar trait of the festival as many attendees wear lederhosen and dirndls which is thoroughly encouraged.
In Dublin, a traditional Oktoberfest usually came annually to North Dock to showcase several weeks of German food and fun but announced earlier this year that it would not be returning due to “unprecedented increases” in their insurance premium. However, Eatyard of Bernard Shaw fame are running an Oktoberfest of their own in Jam Park in Swords. The event will run from October 3 – October 22 with tickets from €15 to €100 for a table of eight. The ticket gets you a Stein (equivalent of two pints) on arrival and access to “entertainment for the whole session”, which includes “bands, quizzes, German music bingo, MCs, limbo, dance offs, arm wrestling.” German food such as schnitzel and Black Forest gateau will also be on offer.
For a potentially more sophisticated evening, Brother Hubbard North on Capel Street in cooperation with Eight Degrees Brewery are offering an Oktoberfest evening on Sunday September 6 from 5pm. This will be ideal for couples and larger groups, with a sharing based menu of German food which includes German breads, schnitzels and spätzle and also can provide vegan, vegetarian and gluten alternatives at request. Tickets are priced at €32.50 per person excluding booking fees, which includes a three course meal and a glass of beer.
On campus, there are two stand out Oktoberfest events that follow on from EUROPA’s Oktoberfest in Trinity Hall on September 28.
DU Germanic Society are hosting their own Oktoberfest event on Tuesday October 1. It runs from 7pm to 9pm in the Hist conversation room in the GMB. It’s a Fourth Week event, so it’s open to all students and staff on campus. The event is free of charge but they’ll be charging a €5 deposit for the Stein glasses which will be returned when you bring back the glass. There’ll be a selection of German beers, including Erdinger Oktoberfest, Erdinger Hefe and Krombacher Pils, and some pretzels. Stammtisch is happening in The Duke afterwards and everyone is welcome to head over there afterwards.
The Stammtisch event will give German speakers an opportunity to practice their spoken German with both natives and German students alike, so if you’re feeling ambitious, (or ambitioniert as the Germans may say) this could be a great opportunity to really celebrate Oktoberfest to the max.
Trinity FM will also be running an event on Thursday October 3. Trinity FM host themed events every month coinciding with our broadcast weeks. They host Oktoberfest in the Eliz Room every year, and will be doing the same this Thursday from 7pm. They’re encouraging society members to make German food like pretzels, sauerkraut, bratwurst, even a bundt cake will be making an appearance, and of course plenty of beer. Chair of TFM Killian Meagher told us they will have music, decorations, dancing and some chill drinking games like beer pong and then will head onto Chaplin’s. TFM tends to have many international members so this is definitely an event which will celebrate not only German culture but many different cultures in a fun and festive way.
So if you’re looking for something that little bit more European, live like the Germans do this week and ring in the beginning of October with Spaß und Schnitzel.
