Majic.iE

Our site editor, BRIAN CANTY, in light of what was another terrific Paddy's day in Galway, takes a look at Saint Patrick's day parades around the world.

From Birmingham in the UK to Buenos Aires in Argentina, here's some useful info should you ever find yourself far from home on the 17th of March.

United Kingdom

The largest Saint Patrick's Day parade in the UK is held in Birmingham over a two mile route through the city centre. The organisers describe it as the third biggest parade in the world after Dublin and New York. Other Saint Patrick's Day parades take place around the country including London where the largest minority community is Irish.

Florence, Italy

For St. Patrick's Day, the city hosts 'Festa Irlandese' - ten days of live music, food and drink. The event takes place in a huge tent and attracts thousands of visitors who avidly consume the Italian interpretation of Irish food and drink, including potato soup, beef in Guinness, smoked salmon and gallons of stout.

Oslo, Norway

The Irish community in Oslo celebrates with a lively parade through the city. Nearly a thousand people join in the fun as the parade marches through shopping streets, past Oslo cathedral and on to Town Hall Square for some entertainment. Accompanying the pipe band is St Patrick, driven by a red-bearded chauffer in a horse and cart, and a host of other colourful Irish characters.

Germany

Munich is the only German city that celebrates St. Patrick's Day thanks to the considerably large Irish community. The parade is organized by the German-Irish Society of Bavaria and has been held every year since 1996. It has evolved into the largest St. Patrick’s day parade in continental Europe and features not only the Irish, Scots and English, but also German clubs and societies. Following the two km-parade, which usually takes place the Sunday preceding 17 March, is an open air party with live music and dance performances.

Montserrat

The tiny island of Montserrat is known as the "Emerald Island of the Caribbean" due to the Irish refugees from Saint Kitts and Nevis who settled there. It is the only place in the world apart from the Republic of Ireland and the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador in which St Patrick's Day is a public holiday. The holiday commemorates a failed slave uprising that occurred on 17 March 1798.

Russia

On March 15, 1992, thousands of Muscovites lined the Novy Arbat in Moscow to witness the first St. Patrick's Day Parade in the Russian capital's history. Yuri Luzhkov - the Mayor of Moscow was on the reviewing stand as a police escort led the way for Russian marching bands, Cossack horsemen, and fifteen floats representing many Russian companies. The parade, which was the brainchild of former Aer Rianta boss Derek Keogh, was a big success, and ensured a repeat performance the following year.