Birmingham was turned into a sea of green, white and gold as revellers turned out to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in their thousands.
Yesterday’s 10th anniversary of festivities to celebrate Ireland’s patron saint and the event for the city’s large Irish population was described as a huge success by organisers.
Crowds flocked to see a colourful parade of floats leave Camp Hill mid-morning, following the traditional route through Digbeth and the Bullring.
Six bands from Ireland took part – the Castlerea Brass and Reed Band from Roscommon, the St Patrick’s Wicklow Pipe Band, the St Macartan’s Pipe Band from Lisnagrieve, the Moyross Pipe Band, Limerick, the Rathanna Marching Band and the Arklow Marching Band from Wicklow.
There was also a fun fair in Bradford Street. In the evening, sports fans had their photographs taken with the famed Sam Maguire Cup.
The trophy, named after a former footballer and influential figure in the Gaelic Athletic Association in London, is presented each year to the winners of the All-Ireland Football Championship.
The day kicked off a mammoth week of festivities around the city which comes to a climax next Saturday, St Patrick’s Day itself.
An extra £60,000 was pledged by the city council for Birmingham’s St Patrick’s Day Festival and Parade, effectively securing the event for the next two years.
The announcement followed successful talks between organisers of the city’s largest community festival and Birmingham City Council.
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