Holly Willoughby, Emma Bunton and Vogue Williams lead the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations as annual event draws thousands to parades across Ireland

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Holly Willoughby, Emma Bunton, and Vogue Williams kicked off St. Patrick’s Day celebrations on Tuesday with posts on social media, paying tribute to Ireland’s patron saint.

Holly Willoughby, who used to present This Morning, was quick to post online after having a lively pub lunch with friends at the famous Devonshire Arms in London.

The 45-year-old TV star shared a video on Instagram of herself celebrating the annual event with a Guinness at a well-known spot in Soho.

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, 50-year-old Bunton, who has family in southeast Ireland, posted photos of herself wearing a Wexford football jersey and enjoying a Guinness.

She wished everyone a Happy St. Patrick’s Day, sending special greetings to her family and friends back home in Wexford.

Vogue Williams has returned to Ireland from London, where she lives with her husband Spencer Matthews and their children. She’s preparing to be the Grand Marshal of Dublin’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade.

The presenter had previously expressed her enthusiasm about participating in Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, a popular event that brought thousands of visitors to the city’s streets.

Celebrations are taking place in Dublin, Belfast, and Cork. In Killarney, the hometown of actress Jessie Buckley, a special parade float is honoring her recent Oscars success, along with other notable people from the town and County Kerry.

People, including families and visitors, filled the streets of cities and towns throughout Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day, taking time to think about what it means to be Irish.

Thousands of runners completed a 10km race through Belfast before the city’s parade started.

People of all ages, both locals and tourists, lined the streets of Dublin for hours before the parade started, eager to catch a view. Many showed their spirit with Irish-themed accessories like tricolour glasses, leprechaun hats, green glitter, and shamrocks.

Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Day parade featured 12 large floats and over 3,000 people. It started at Parnell Square in the north of the city, traveled down O’Connell Street – Dublin’s main street – and finished at the intersection of Cuffe Street and Kevin Street in the south.

The parade featured a diverse range of performers, including Macnas, Bui Bolg, Spraoi, the Inishowen Carnival Group, and The Outing Queer Arts Collective.

The Rotunda Hospital, right at the beginning of the parade route, will be kicking things off with a float created by ArtFX.

As a longtime admirer of Irish culture, I always think of St. Patrick’s Day as a time to celebrate everything Ireland and its people have accomplished. I recently heard an interesting perspective from someone visiting from Holland, Karen Van Brakel, who beautifully described it as a celebration of the Irish gift for bringing everyone together – and I couldn’t agree more! It really captures the spirit of the day for me.

Anna May and Primrose, two friends from the Philippines, were both wearing green shirts and had shamrock designs painted on their faces.

Anna May was experiencing her first St. Patrick’s Day parade, but Primrose, who is from Ireland, had attended many before.

Anna May shared that this was her first time attending a large parade, and she was excited to experience Irish culture. She also mentioned that she considers St. Patrick’s Day to be a very well-known celebration.

‘We’re Catholic as well,’ Primrose said.

Jessica McGuinness of Finglas treated her three-year-old son, Jack, to a Shamrock shake before they found a good viewing spot near Parnell Street.

‘He loves the marching bands and the flags,’ she said.

Rian Doyle explained that he and his nine-year-old sister, Kelly, have attended the Dublin parade for many years, and he especially enjoys the lively atmosphere with all the singing, dancing, and marching.

He explained it’s both a religious observance and a way to celebrate Ireland and its history.

This year’s Dublin parade celebrated people and heritage, with lively performances from marching bands hailing from Scotland and eight different states across the US – Ohio, Arizona, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Mississippi, Indiana, and Texas.

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2026-03-17 19:50