St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival
14th March 2010
Trafalgar Square and Central London, Westminster, London WC2N 5DS |
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London’s large Irish community have long celebrated Ireland’s patron saint on this day in traditional fashion – church services followed by music, dancing and, of course, plenty of whisky and Guinness. For the last several years, London has also hosted a large weekend celebration that could be seen as the London equivalent to the parades in Chicago and New York. Floats representing each of Ireland’s counties wind their way from Hyde Park Corner via Whitehall to Trafalgar Square, accompanied by bands and street theatre along the way.
The stage set up in Trafalgar Square hosts a number of live performances and there is a large ceilidh in Leicester Square where everyone (Irish and not) can join in some traditional Irish dancing. Naturally, you will also find the city’s Catholic churches abuzz with an odd mix of religion and music and London’s Irish pubs – not hard to find – will be a focal point of good cheer.
Travel: Take the District or Circle Line from South Kensington tube station direct to Embankment for the short walk up to The Strand and Trafalgar Square.
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