IN PICTURES: London goes green as St Patrick's Day Parade returns

Denise McGee (nee Rochford) (back centre) with dancers from her Rochford School of Irish Dance on their float for the London St Patrick's Day Parade 2022 (PICS: Brendan Vaughan/The Irish Post)

LONDON turned green over the weekend as thousands of people from all walks of life enjoyed the return of the Mayor of London’s St Patrick’s Day Festival to the capital.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin and grand marshals lead the parade through the streets of London (PICS: Brendan Vaughan/Irish Post)

It was the first major event held in the capital since the UK went into lockdown in March 2020, and The Irish Post was proud to be the official media partner for the event once again.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick walked in the parade alongside Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and a selection of members of their respective forces took part too (PICS: Brendan Vaughan/Irish Post)

The festivities on Sunday, March 13 started with a St Patrick’s Day breakfast held at Richard Corrigan’s Bentley’s restaurant in Piccadilly, hosted by Jacqueline O’Donovan of the O’Donovan Waste firm, which is one of the sponsors of the annual event.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin with Jacqueline O'Donovan of O'Donovan Waste at their pre-parade St Patrick's Breakfast held in Bentleys (PICS: Brendan Vaughan)

That breakfast was attended by fellow festival sponsors, parade grand marshals and special guests – including Taoiseach Micheál Martin – before they set off to walk in the parade.

County colours flew high across London on Sunday, March 13 (PICS: Brendan Vaughan/The Irish Post)

Those grand marshals - eleven key worker representatives from the Irish community in London – were joined by one further marshal on the day, a representative from Ukraine who held the nation’s blue and yellow flag throughout the procession.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin, shows his solidarity with Ukraine, while walking alongside the Dublin-born Lord Mayor of the City of London, Vincent Keaveny (PICS: Brendan Vaughan/Irish Post)

The marshals also flanked the Taoiseach when he took to the main stage in Trafalgar Square.

Main stage act Xnthony (second from left) meets the Taoiseach (far right) and Irish Ambassador to Britain Adrian O'Neill (left) backstage at the St Patrick's Festival (PICS: Brendan Vaughan/Irish Post)

“St Patrick’s Day is about reconnecting with our communities all around the world, of togetherness, and of celebrating our identity, culture, our art, the tremendous diaspora, with links in cities all over the world,” he said.

Headliners Altan take a break by the Trafalgar Square lions (PICS: Brendan Vaughan/Irish Post)

“I’m here in London to really nurture that important British-Irish relationship, which is the most important of them all, given our family links down the centuries.”

All dressed up for St Patrick's Day (PICS: Brendan Vaughan)

The Taoiseach also took an opportunity to walk through Trafalgar Square to visit the stalls meet with community organisations before heading on to his next engagement - the annual St Patrick's trip to the US to meet with President Joe Biden.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin, pictured with Irish Post publisher Elgin Loane. The Irish Post is the main media partner for the Mayor of London's St Patrick's Day Festival

Elsewhere in the square a bustling main stage line-up kept the crowds moving including performances by Xnthony, Ragz-CV, Altan and Damien Dempsey.