St Paddy's Day around the world
On 17 March St Patrick's Day will be marked across the world with lavish parades, music, street theatre and all things green.
One of the only national holidays to be celebrated outside it's homeland, St Patrick's Day is an example of the Irish influence throughout the world.
The Emerald Isle itself will be celebrating in style this year. Dublin has five days and five nights of events planned, running from 13 March until 17 March. The final day will include a parade and the Céilí Mór with music from the Kilfenora Céilí Band.
The wild western coastal city of Galway will host its 105th St Patrick's Day Parade on Monday 17 March along with a programme of performances from international acts. Newly refurbished Cork city centre with its renowned restaurants and atmospheric pubs will be ready for the festival running from Saturday 15 March to Monday 17 March.
London is holding its seventh annual St Patrick's Day event on Sunday 16 March. England's pubs will certainly be lively with England playing Ireland in the Six Nations Rugby tournament over the weekend.
For those revellers looking further afield, the United States is the obvious choice. The first ever St Patrick's Day celebration in America was held in 1737 in Boston and has grown ever since. This year's parade is on Sunday 16 March. Chicago is famous for dying its river green in honour of St Paddy. The city's 2008 parade will be held on Saturday 15 March. New York's parade has happened since 1762, this year marching up 5th Avenue, clan by clan, from 44th to 86th streets on Monday 17 March.
The Irish and non-Irish of the world may well be turning green after one too many pints of the black stuff but the thousands of worshippers attending church services will remember that the event is a religious festival as well as an excuse for a party.
AerArann offers flights to Dublin, Galway and Cork from UK airports including Southampton, Cardiff, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Bristol, Leeds, Luton, Manchester, Inverness and the Isle of Man.
Fly to New York, Boston or Chicago with British Airways from London Heathrow, Manchester, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Newcastle.
Written by: Maxine Clarke
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