Shamrocks & Shenanigans
Friday March 16, 2007
When Ireland's patron saint died on March 17 more than 1,500 years ago, he could not have known his legacy would be a worldwide celebration of all things Irish.
From Dublin to Dubai, Montreal to Moscow, St Patrick's Day is celebrated by people of all faiths and nationalities, writes Sky News Online's John Kelly.
The world's biggest parade takes place, not surprisingly, in Dublin, where half a million people are due to fill the streets.
Ireland's Prime Minister, Bertie Ahern, and President Mary McAleese will be among the crowds.
The parade snakes its way through the city from Parnell Square at noon to Christchurch Cathedral.
While Dublin boasts the biggest, a tiny village in County Cork lays claim to the world's smallest celebration.
Dripsey's parade runs for just 100 yards between two pubs, the Weigh Inn and the Lee Valley Inn.
But they do reverse the direction of the procession every year, to keep the interest.
Northern Ireland's biggest celebration takes place in Downpatrick, where St Patrick is buried.
While on the other side of the water, Britain's biggest parade takes place in Birmingham, over a two-mile route through the city centre.
London's celebration takes place on Sunday, March 18 and will feature marching bands from the UK, Ireland and the US.
There will also be live music in Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden, featuring Irish artists such as Director, Paul Brady and Sharon Shannon.
The oldest St Patrick's Day festivities take place in North America - no big surprise given that some 34 million US residents claim Irish ancestry.
But you might be surprised to learn that neither New York nor Boston lay claim to the longest continually running parade.
That honour goes to the Canadian city of Montreal, where Irish soldiers first marched through the city's streets way back in 1759.
New York certainly has the longest parade, marching up 5th Avenue in Manhattan, from 44th to 86th streets.
Last year's parade was watched by over two million New Yorkers.
Boston, the most Irish of US cities, has been celebrating St Patrick's Day since 1737.
Not to be outdone, Chicago dyes the city's river green for the day, while in Savannah, Georgia, all the city's fountains turn green.
Uruguay may have a minuscule Irish population, but its capital Montevideo hosts one of the most bizarre festivities of all.
The tradition involves spinning a party-goer around on the spot, once for every year of their age, while clapping and chanting "Dublin drunk!"
The dazed drinker must then walk at least 10 steps and plant a kiss on the cheek of someone from the opposite sex - a feat rarely achieved, according to those who remember.
Apart from Ireland itself, plus the Canadian provinces, the only other place where St Patrick's Day is a public holiday is the tiny Caribbean island of Montserrat.
It is known as the "Emerald Island of the Caribbean" because it was founded by Irish refugees from St Kitts and Nevis.
Continental Europe's biggest parade takes place in Munich, over a 2km route, and there will also be parades in Oslo, Istanbul and Moscow.
The lucky residents of Amsterdam can even look forward to seeing one of Ireland's greatest musicians perform, with Van Morrison in concert at the Heineken Music Hall.
In Australasia there will be parades and festivals in Tokyo, Seoul, Dubai and Taiwan.
And with over 20% of the city claiming Irish blood, it is no surprise that Auckland will be hosting a St Patrick's Day festival on Saturday - the first city in the world to do so.
However, if you are hoping to party in Singapore or Sydney, you will be sorely disappointed - both cities held their St Patrick's Day parades last weekend!
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