Hen Parties in Ireland

In Ireland, a Bachelorette party is known as a Hen Party. This event usually takes place a few weeks before the wedding. The party is normally organized by the chief bridesmaid or maid of honour. While the format varies widely the event usually involves alcohol. Many Hen parties include some daytime event or activity like paint-balling, makeovers, bowling or other fun pursuits. There is nearly always a meal in a restaurant followed by a night of drinking and dancing.

The typical Irish Party includes the mother of the bride and the future mother-in-law. Irish parties vary in size but are usually made up of between 12 and 30 girls often wearing outlandish outfits. The peak time for Hen Parties in Ireland is between April and September. You will often see large Hen Party groups roaming the streets in the popular Hen Party towns of Kilkenny, Kenmare, Galway, Limerick and Carrick-on-Shannon.

An overnight stay in a Hotel is the norm although some Hens take place in the home town of the Bride to Be. Pink Hats and printed "T" shirts are a pretty common sight on any Irish street on a Saturday night. Most parties involve some form of fancy dress or wild costumes.

Strippograms and Kissograms are sometimes used to add extra entertainment to the evening where allowed. Most Irish pubs are easy going about girly Parties but some will not allow Large groups of women intent on having fun. All in all the Hen Party is part of the wedding tradition in Ireland and it is very unusual for a future bride not to have some form of Hen Party to celebrate her last bit of freedom. Most Hens Nights are planned by the girls themselves but there are Event planning companies that specialise in organizing the whole process.

Of course while a Hens Party is an important event in Ireland it is an event that takes place in some form in nearly all cultures.