Holly Willoughby, Emma Bunton and Vogue Williams lead the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations as annual event draws thousands to parades across Ireland
Holly Willoughby, Emma Bunton and Vogue Williams got St. Patrick’s Day off to a promising start on Tuesday by honoring Ireland’s patron saint in a series of social media posts.
Former This Morning presenter Willoughby was among the first to share his message after meeting friends for a boozy pub lunch at legendary London pub the Devonshire Arms.
The 45-year-old TV star filmed herself on Instagram toasting the annual celebration with a pint of Guinness while sitting at a table at the popular Soho venue.
Sharing his own St. Patrick’s Day message, Bunton, 50, who has close family ties in south-east Ireland, shared photos of himself wearing a Wexford football jersey while lifting a black box.
‘Happy St. Patrick’s Day!’ he wrote. ‘I wish everyone celebrating a fantastic day and a special thank you to my family and friends in beautiful Wexford!’
Elsewhere, Williams confirmed he had returned to Ireland from the home he shares with wife Spencer Matthews and their children in London ahead of the annual St Patrick’s Day parade in Dublin, where he will serve as Grand Marshal.
Former This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby is in St. Louis after meeting friends for a boozy pub lunch at the Devonshire Arms. He was among the first celebrities to share his St. Patrick’s Day message
The presenter previously said he was excited to take part in the Dublin St Patrick’s Day parade, which draws thousands of visitors to the streets of the Irish capital.
Parades are being held in Dublin, Belfast and Cork, while actress Jessie Buckley’s hometown of Killarney is celebrating her Oscar win with a ceremony dedicated to successful people from the County Kerry town.
Families and tourists line the streets in cities and towns across Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day as they reflect on what it means to be Irish.
Thousands of people took part in the 10km race through the streets of the city before the parade in Belfast started.
In Dublin, children and visitors gathered hours before they could get a good look at the parade, wearing tricolor glasses, elf hats, decorative green face glitter and shamrock clusters.
The Irish capital’s parade, comprising 12 major floats and more than 3,000 participants, traveled from Parnell Square in the city’s north to Dublin’s main street, O’Connell Street, and finished at the Cuffe Street/Kevin Street junction on the city’s south side.
Performers in the parade included Macnas, Bui Bolg, Spraoi, Inishowen Carnival Group and The Outing Queer Arts Collective.
Rotunda Hospital, located near the start of the parade, features the parade’s first float, designed by ArtFX.
Eleven-year-old Dubliner Rian Doyle said St Patrick’s Day was about celebrating Ireland’s achievements, while Dutch Karen Van Brakel said it was about the Irish value of bringing people together.
Anna May and Primrose, two school friends from the Philippines, wore green T-shirts and sparkly shamrock face paint.
Spice Girl Emma Bunton grabs a pint of Guinness while celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on Tuesday
Bunton, who has close family ties in south-east Ireland, shared photos of himself wearing a Wexford football jersey
Vogue Williams has confirmed his return to Ireland ahead of Dublin’s annual St Patrick’s Day parade, where he served as Grand Marshal.
On Instagram on Tuesday, Williams shared a photo from the window of his plane as it flew over his family’s home in Ireland.
Anna May said this was her first St. Patrick’s Day parade, while Primrose, an Irish citizen, joined many others.
“This is my first time seeing a big parade so I’d like to experience Irish culture, plus I think St Patrick’s is one of the most famous festivals,” said Anna May.
“We’re Catholics, too,” said Primrose.
Jessica McGuinness, from Finglas, brought her three-year-old son Jack for a Shamrock shake before heading to the front spot near Parnell Street.
‘He loves marching bands and flags,’ he said.
Rian Doyle said he and his nine-year-old sister Kelly had been attending the Dublin parade for a number of years and loved the fun of singing, dancing and marching.
‘It’s a religious tradition, but it’s also to celebrate Ireland and everything we’ve done over the years,’ he added.
The theme of the Dublin parade was a celebration of people and roots, featuring eight marching bands from Scotland and the United States (Ohio, Arizona, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Mississippi, Indiana and Texas).
