THE traditional St Patricks day parade and music festival in Birmingham had to undergo a major overall this year thanks to the construction of the national infrastructure project, Highspeed Rail and the Birmingham Metro extension to expand the City's trams links.
The flag of St Patrick raised outside Birmingham's Council House (PICS: Chris Egan)With Digbeth's St Patricks parade route all but transformed into a construction site, all attention was focused on bringing together a musical festival showcasing local, national and international bands.
Niall McCabe of Beoga on the St Pat Rocks stage (PICS: Chris Egan/Irish Post)To ensure the St Patricks Day celebrations got off to a traditional start, ahead of the St Patrick's mass At St Ann's Church in the heart of the Irish Quarter, a St Patrick flag was raised outside of the Birmingham Council House on Sunday, March 13.
Birmingham Irish Pipes and Drums band march outside St Annes Church (PICS: Chris Egan)From there the Birmingham Irish Pipes and Drums made the short walk to the St Pat Rocks Stage to formally open the all-day concert.
Jim Thomlinson, Martin McDermott, Birmingham Irish Association CEO Maurice Malone and Peter Connelly enjoying the festivities(PICS: Chris Egan/Irish Post)First up was Heed, two singing sisters from Birmingham who were then followed by Lampa.
Lampa rock the main stage (PICS: Chris Egan/Irish Post)Providing an international flavour to the day, Kerry-formed Irish Folk band Beoga took to the stage.
Birmingham favourites The Father Teds (PICS: Chris Egan/Irish Post)Despite the heavens opening and the Digbeth crowd having to contend with heavy showers, Beoga kept them dancing before local favourites the Father Teds took to the stage.
Irish Dancer Megan Kerrigan takes to the stage with Lampa (PICS: Chris Egan/Irish Post)Scroll down to see all the action from the event...
Liam Stook, Erin Keenan and Kieran Nevin from Birmingham and Oxford (PICS: Chris Egan/Irish Post)
Birmingham-based friends ready to dance the day away to the St Patricks tunes (PICS: Chris Egan)
Bromley Wilkin, Beth Murray and Emily Roche from Birmingham (PICS: Chris Egan/Irish Post)
Focused on the music, 11-month-old Orla with mum and dad Sam and Colleen (PICS: Chris Egan/Irish Post)
The Darby family from Birmingham (PICS: Chris Egan/Irish Post)
All dressed up for St Patrick, Wolverhampton's Brendan Collis (PICS: Chris Egan/Irish Post)
The Darby family from Birmingham (PICS: Chris Egan/Irish Post)
Dawn and Richard Falvey from Royal Leamington Spa (PICS: Chris Egan/Irish Post)
Hannah, Darragh, Darren and Declan McHale from Nuneaton (PICS: Chris Egan/Irish Post)
Anne-Marie, Enya, Clara and Sinead McCabe (PICS: Chris Egan/Irish Post)
