St Patrick’s Day: How the Irish diaspora celebrates
The Irish parade in London begins in Hyde Park and ends in Trafalgar Square and is the largest St Patrick’s Day celebration outside of Ireland. It amasses more than 50,000 attendees annually with 125,000 attendees as a milestone. The tradition of St Patrick’s day parades began following the end of World War II, and every year since then, it has given the vast expat Irish community in London a venue to celebrate their identity and come together as a diaspora.
Feature image courtesy of the London Assembly.
For Irish communities across England and London specifically, March 17th – St. Patrick’s Day, is one of the most celebratory days of the year. Originally it was marked purely to celebrate the arrival of Christianity to Ireland (Britannica, 2026), but it has since become much more. In London, the event brings together those living through diaspora through shared parades, music, dancing, the embrace of the colour green, and traditional food and drinks. For the Irish population, this one day means a celebration of their rich culture as well as a true reflection of their history, their fight for liberation and their true identity.
The Irish diaspora in London has a long winding history, with roots that go back many centuries with two main migrations. The first of these was during the Great Famine in the 1840s and 50s, and the second following World War II, when Irish labourers contributed to the rebuilding of Britain (Powderly, 2019). The result of these migrations is the modern day Irish diaspora in London which consists of around 500,000 people born in Ireland and of Irish heritage (Gataveckaite, 2026). These numbers make Irish groups one of London’s largest diasporic groups, with communities found predominantly in Hammersmith, Ealing and Brent (Howes, 2024).
On St. Patrick’s Day, the streets of London were overwhelmingly packed with people celebrating endless culture and history. We took this opportunity to speak to some individuals about what this historic day means to them in today’s modern world. Individuals we interviewed spoke fondly of their heritage, identity, and the Irish diasporic community, overall reflecting on the joy of gathering with loved ones to commemorate shared values. The festival was a blur of green, pulsing with music, and an ongoing high energy. It was clear how important such celebrations are to those living outside of Ireland, as they are able to connect with their families, friends and even strangers through a common thread – being Irish in a diverse and welcoming city such as London.
Most of those interviewed reflected on a mixture of feelings from pride to nostalgia to hope, not only for what once was, but also for what the future can hold. Feelings were described as being bittersweet; with young and old saying they were feeling overjoyed to have such an opportunity to parade with their friends and share traditions that celebrate Irish life and the ongoing freedom-chasing of their people, yet they all also reflected deeply on how they miss their families and their true home. Overall the atmosphere was highly celebratory and fun-filled, and all those in attendance of the massive parade were pleased to have a chance away from home to celebrate and feel a sense of belonging.
Diaspora is a hard circumstance endured by many different demographics all over the world. It is made up of those who are forced to build and live a new life outside of their homeland, due to forced migration. Diasporic identities are often formed with a sense of dual belonging, to the original homeland and the host nation, in this case the Irish population in England. Celebrations such as St. Patrick’s Day are an important way to bring together cultural practices, language, and overall identity as a way of keeping heritage alive in any location.
Print Version provided by: Maryam Haddad
Audio/Video Version provided by: Mia Robinson and Jarka Cicakova
References:
Britannica, (2026). St. Patrick’s Day. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Saint-Patricks-Day [Accessed 15 June 2026].
Gataveckaite, Gabija (2026). Exhibit shows how Irish immigrants have fared in England. [online] BBC. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx21ep5z39eo [Accessed 15 June 2026].
Howes, Eileen (2024). 2001 Census Profiles: The Irish in London. [online] Data Management & Analysis Group. Available at: https://data.london.gov.uk/download/2jyyd/4c3007cb-d5c9-44c1-8262-08cef8d6a08c/DMAG%20Briefing%202004-11%202001%20Census%20Profiles%20The%20Irish%20in%20London%20Low_res.pdf [Accessed on 15 June 2026].
Powderly, W. G. (2019). How Infection Shaped History: Lessons From The Irish Famine. [online] PubMed Central. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6735970/ [Accessed 15 June 2026].