St Patrick's Day events around the world

People dressed up for St. Patrick's DayPACEMAKER

Parades are being held in Belfast, Londonderry, Downpatrick, Armagh and Newry

Events are taking place across the world to celebrate St Patrick's Day.

In Northern Ireland, parades are being held in Belfast, Londonderry, Downpatrick, Armagh and Newry.

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The Duchess of Cambridge drank Guinness during lunch with the Irish Guards

Festivities in the Republic of Ireland included a parade in Dublin, while thousands lined Manhattan's Fifth Avenue for New York's annual parade.

In London, the Duchess of Cambridge sipped a pint of Guinness after watching a parade of the Irish Guards with Prince William.

Many landmarks around the world were illuminated with green lighting overnight, as part of Tourism Ireland's global greening project.

Landmarks turn green around the world as part of Tourism Ireland's Global Greening

In Northern Ireland, Darth Vader showed up to join in the fun in Belfast, but the weather was the real villain, with many spectators and participants soaking up the rain as well as the atmosphere.

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There were plenty of great costumes at the Belfast city centre parade

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The rain did not keep the crowds away in Belfast

St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is believed to have been buried in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland and a religious procession and vigil was held in the County Down town on Friday.

Northern Ireland Secretary of State James Brokenshire laid a wreath at St Patrick's grave outside Down Cathedral before the town's celebrations got under way.

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Northern Ireland Secretary of State, James Brokenshire, paid tribute to St Patrick at his grave in Downpatrick

Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny is visiting the United States for St Patrick's Day and is attending New York City's parade.

At a White House reception on Thursday, Mr Kenny presented US President Donald Trump a bowl of shamrocks, a tradition that dates back to the 1950s.

In Dublin, thousands of locals and tourists braved the cold, wet weather to line the route of the city's parade which was led by Olympic silver medal winner Annalise Murphy.

Some smaller parades had to be cancelled because of poor weather conditions across the Republic of Ireland, including parts of County Donegal and Connemara on the west coast.

In Limerick, an estimated 50,000 people watched the parade led by a 14-year-old cyberbullying campaigner Luke Culhane - who was recently named the city's Person of the Year.

Here are details of St Patrick's Day events across the island of Ireland:

Belfast

Paul Mc Farland

Belfast City Hall gets in the swing for the big day

  • A carnival parade from city hall at 12:00 GMT.

  • Free concert at Custom House Square with X Factor runner-up Fleur East, Reggie 'n' Bollie and Stooshe at 12:45.

  • St Patrick's weekend at St George's Market with live traditional Irish music from An Droichead and make your own shamrock workshops.

Downpatrick

  • Carnival procession through the town centre from midday, followed by an open-air concert. Music, face-painting, stilt walkers and balloon-modelling.

  • Shamrock steam trains at Downpatrick and County Down Railway between 12:00 and 17:00.

  • You can ride from from Inch Abbey to Downpatrick town centre visiting historic sites linked to St Patrick.

Londonderry

  • St Patrick's Day parade in Derry from 14:00 to 15:00 with community, arts and performance groups.

  • LegenDerry Food Festival at Guildhall Square from 12:00 to 18:00 with live cooking demonstrations and local produce.

Armagh

  • St Patrick's carnival with the theme of Myths and Legends and a display of music, dance and entertainment will snake its way through the town centre from 12:30.

Newry

  • Cross-community carnival parade leaves the Quays Shopping Centre at 12:00.

  • Open-air concert on Hill Street with Irish dancers, tribal drummers, face painting and stalls.

Dublin

  • The annual parade is the centrepiece of the city's St Patrick's Festival.

  • The theme of this year's event is 'Ireland You Are' and Irish street theatre companies and bands will be joined by performers from the US, France, Germany, Switzerland and the Bahamas.

  • The parade starts in O'Connell Street at 12:00.

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