Hundreds of thousands of people will today brave the elements to watch, or take part in, St Patrick’s Day parades in towns and villages up and down the country. The parades themselves are proof of the commitment of the volunteers on which all our communities are built. Witness, too, the overseas celebrations of St Patrick’s Day and the enthusiasm with which the non-Irish and the Irish abroad, from Philadelphia to Tokyo, embrace the chance to celebrate our patron saint’s day. It will be much later today before we learn whether another St Patrick’s Day staple, the Taoiseach’s visit to the White House, gives us any cause for celebration. Perhaps the best we can hope for from today’s meeting is that Trump has enough on his mind without picking a fight with the Irish on St Patrick’s Day.

Source: Irish Examiner March 17, 2026 06:04 UTC