In Pictures: Thousands turn out for St Patrick’s Day parades across the world

Thousands of people lined the streets of Dublin to watch this year’s St Patrick’s Day parade in an event described by TV presenter Patrick Kielty as “the biggest party in the world”.

Visitors travelled from Bolivia, California and China to participate in the annual event in the Irish capital, with attendees packing the city centre bedecked in shamrock-shaped sunglasses, Irish jerseys and leprechaun hats.

Kielty, the grand marshal of the national parade in Dublin this year, said Ireland’s national day was important because it gave people a chance to “share in something, it brings a lot of people together”.

The holiday commemorates Ireland’s patron saint and is celebrated around the world by Irish immigrants.

TV presenter Patrick Kielty was the grand marshal of the national parade in Dublin and described himself as ‘the proudest man in Ireland’ (Michael Chester/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Michael Chester

Performers took to the streets to entertain the crowds in the Irish capital (Michael Chester/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Michael Chester

People gathered from early in the morning in their green and tricolour accessories (Michael Chester/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Michael Chester

The Dublin Lord Mayor’s coach was ridden through the streets during the parade (Michael Chester/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Michael Chester

Crowds utilised various vantage points to get a good view of the celebrations (Michael Chester/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Michael Chester

More than 4,200 participants were scheduled to take part in the flagship parade in the capital (Michael Chester/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Michael Chester

One group took an imaginative look at what it meant to be ‘110% Irish’ and wore red wigs and the same Aran jumper (Michael Chester/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Michael Chester

Attendees described the parade as ‘a big party’ (Michael Chester/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Michael Chester

Merchandise seller Willie Egan set up ahead of the festivities (Michael Chester/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Michael Chester

Dublin residents Derek, Eoin, Paula, and Emma Donnelly were in position ahead of time (Michael Chester/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Michael Chester

Meanwhile, celebrations continued across the water in London with crowds gathering in Trafalgar Square for the UK capital’s St Patrick’s Day event (Lucy North/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Lucy North

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, centre, was among those enjoying the celebrations (Lucy North/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Lucy North

Trafalgar Square was full of people celebrating (Lucy North/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Lucy North

The event in London culminated in a festival of live performances (Lucy North/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Lucy North

Elsewhere, in Birmingham, performers also took part in a St Patrick’s Day parade (Jacob King/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jacob King

Large crowds turned out to watch performers (Jacob King/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jacob King

Young people were among those taking part in the Birmingham event (Jacob King/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jacob King

Meanwhile, across the pond, in the US, president Joe Biden spoke during a St Patrick’s Day brunch at the White House in Washington (Niall Carson/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Niall Carson

And on the landmark property’s North Lawn, the fountain was dyed green in honour of St Patrick’s Day (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP)Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved - Stephanie Scarbrough