By David Hennessy
Olympic gold medallist boxer Kellie Harrington and Ireland’s Paralympian cycling hero Katie- George Dunlevy led the crowds through the streets of London for the annual St Patrick’s parade.
Thousands lined the streets along the parade route to cheer on a leading group of Kellie, Katie- George, visiting minister Norma Foley, Ambassador Martin Fraser and his wife Deirdre as they led the crowds to Trafalgar Square.
At Trafalgar Square there was an afternoon of entertainment that included Kíla, Irish Women in Harmony, The Peppered Aces, Eva O’Connor, Toshín, Dogs, Jig and a Swig, St Roch’s Ceilidh Band, Angela O’Connor School of Dance, Ruairi Glasheen and ICC Music School and Ragz-CV.
The entertainment for the Mayor’s St Patrick’s Day festivities was programmed by the London Irish Centre and hosted by Tara Kumar of the BBC.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan told The Irish World: “It’s great to be back here in 2025 celebrating St Patrick’s Day.
“I have already seen the crowds who have really gathered from early doors.
“There’ll be 10s of 1000s of people on the parade, watching the parade as we go past, between 20 and 40,000 in Trafalgar Square during the course of the day celebrating this wonderful St Patrick’s Day.
“One of the reasons we are the greatest city in the world is the contribution made by the Irish community over successive generations.
“Look at the contribution those from Irish backgrounds make to the National Health Service, to the arts and creative industries, to construction, to entrepreneurship, to the business community.”
The mayor reflected on the tough times endured by the Irish community arriving here.
“It’s really important to remind ourselves of the progress we’ve made.
“I lived through the troubles.
“We know in the 60s and 70s, there were signs often on pubs and guests house saying, ‘No blacks, no Irish and no dogs’.
“We’ve gone from that horror and that horrible situation to where we are today, where we celebrate the contribution made by the Irish community, but also it shows us that our diversity is a strength, not a weakness. It makes us richer, not poorer, stronger, not weaker.
“But also it’s really important for those who are Londoners who are from Irish backgrounds, whether you’re first, second, third, fourth, fifth generation, to be proud of being both a Londoner but also Irish.”
Katie- George Dunlevy told The Irish World: “It’s a huge privilege to be Grand Marshal.
“I’m very privileged to get asked to do this with Kellie.
“It means so much, such a special day.
“It’s absolutely brilliant.
“Most of the time I’m just training every day but a day like this just is really the icing on the cake after the year I’ve had coming back with medals from Paris.
“The Paralympians didn’t really get a homecoming after Paris so this is like a homecoming for me.
“I had a small one in Mountcharles in Donegal, where my father’s born, so this is just like a homecoming.
“It’s a special day and something I’ll remember forever.
“My father’s from Donegal but I was born in England and there’s many here like myself.
“To be amongst the community, it’s very special.
“It bring us all together and I can share my medals with them.
“It’s fantastic.
“I’m just very honoured to be here today.”
Katie- George Dunlevy took a gold medal and two silvers home from last year’s Paralympics in Paris.
Asked if she will look ahead to a further games Katie- George said: “I still haven’t decided yet.
“I’ve got world championships this year which I’m training for and I’ll decide at the end of the year whether I carry on to LA.
“It’s a huge commitment, of course, lots of sacrifices to make.
“I’m getting older. I’m 43 now as well.
“It will be my fifth games so we’ll see.”
Concluding, Katie- George said: “I will definitely come back and enjoy the parade again.
“I’m looking forward to the rest of the day.”
Kellie Harrington told The Irish World: “It was a great experience being here today, and I really enjoyed it.
“It’s great when you see a lot of kids wearing their green cardigans and with their shamrocks on their face, their little badges on them.
“It reminds you of St Patrick’s Day at home on Dublin’s O’Connell Street.”
Kellie has felt the support of her Irish mean and women outside of their home country.
“Irish people are all over the world, and Irish people always support Irish people.
“And Irish people also always support people who are nice people and genuine people, doesn’t matter whether they’re Irish or they’re not so I suppose Irish people just get behind good people.
“That’s what I love about Ireland.”
Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Norma Foley, who was returning to London for a second successive St Patrick’s parade in London, said: “I loved it so much last year that I put in a special request that I might be allowed to return this year. And I was very appreciative of the opportunity.
“I think it is a phenomenal, phenomenal celebration of all things Ireland and all things St Patrick here in London and indeed right across the country so we’re very, very appreciative of it.
“It’s been a wonderful day.
“The weather has been great.
“The music, the dance, the song, the camaraderie, you couldn’t find any place better.”
The minister also got to see the good work done in the Irish community on her visit to the UK.
“I’ve had great opportunity.
“I was in Westminster and I met with politicians from Northern Ireland from Southern Ireland, and indeed right across Westminster, great warmth and great welcome there, great friendship building.
“I also had the opportunity to visit places like the Irish Cultural Centre, places like the London Irish Centre and I could really see the great work that’s done there in terms of outreach to Irish people here in London fostering the music, fostering the culture.
“In the London Irish Centre, they talk about the green heart of London and I think that’s very much so what Irish people give and what they commit, they commit heart to this place, and it’s celebrated here today.”
Minister Foley also thought of those who didn’t get such a welcome when they arrived from Ireland.
“I am extremely conscious that we stand on the shoulders of giants really.
“All that has been achieved by Irish people here in London and throughout the country has been achieved by those who had the foresight, the courage really, in really dark and difficult times at home in Ireland to take the step, to come forward here and to work really, really hard and make a significant contribution across all aspects of life here.
“And because they achieved so much, they paved the way for others to come and we owe them a debt of gratitude and in our celebration today, we honour them with great gratitude and great thanks.”
Toshín said: “Oh my God, it was life changing.
“I never thought I’d be ever playing at Trafalgar Square.
“I love involving the crowd with my music but the crowd were amazing.
“It was good craic.
“I think I want to do it again.
“I think it’s very important that we have this festival and have a day to celebrate the Irish culture, Irish people, Irish language, Irish dance.
“It’s super, super important.
“I will definitely be back.”
Irish food and drink was also being celebrated. Dublin chef and restauranteur Anna Haugh told The Irish World: “It’s such a proud day for me.
“It’s so much more than just a pint of the black stuff, it’s really about sharing culture but also sharing kindness.
“I love St Patrick’s Day.
“I’d love to be out watching the parade but I’m too busy in the kitchen cooking because I’m so proud that we live in a time where people want Irish food.”
Reflecting on times when the Irish weren’t so welcomed on these shores to now having such a big celebration in the centre of London Anna said: “It’s all about resilience and understanding.
“When you are a stranger to somebody and you have different ways and cultures, maybe initially people don’t understand that but in time, that can change.
“I think that’s what the Irish can really show people today, that we belong and we’re welcomed, and everybody should be welcomed.”
Poet and playwright Eva O’Connor told The Irish World: “It was a great buzz. Huge crowd.
“I feel like the London Irish gang are always up for it.
“Just the amount of people that turn out here every year shows you we’re a very strong contingent.”
Asked about standing on the stage to share her poetry Eva said: “It’s a huge privilege to be asked.
“It’s amazing.
“I feel like with poetry you can often be in really intimate settings with people, up close and personal but it’s great to also get out and have a real buzz of 1000s of people.
“It (the poem)’s all inspired by St Patrick’s Day and what it means to be Irish living in London and navigating the world with a little bit of your heart always in Ireland.
“I feel like when you go away, it becomes an even bigger day and it feels a bit wrong that Monday isn’t a bank holiday in the UK.”
Irish Women in Harmony is a collective of dozens of Irish female musicians that first banded together in 2020.
For this concert Ruth Anne was joined by Erica Coady, Soulé, Aimeé and Fia Moon.
The five women paid tribute to the late Irish songstresses Dolores O’Riordan and Sinéad O’Connor as well as the late Aslan frontman Christy Dignam with their versions of songs like Dreams, Zombie, Crazy World and Nothing Compares 2 U.
Fia Moon told The Irish World: “What a turnout.
“I’ve never seen so many Irish people gathered outside of Ireland.
“It was amazing.
“I mean, it kind of felt like the audience were singing the songs and we were joining in with them so it was pretty magical.
“Everyone comes out in full force when it’s the day to celebrate the Irish anywhere in the world.
“People say there’s more Irish people outside of Ireland than there is in Ireland and I feel like today with the amount of people, it just shows how many of us are about.
“I’m so disorientated.
“It’s so magical.
“I spend quite a bit of time in Ireland still, going back and forth and it just feels really nice, it feels a bit of home today.
“It’s pretty magical to get to perform on such a big stage in Trafalgar Square.
“It’s amazing.
“I’m still back to Dublin and I’m based between the two (Dublin and London) but it’s just so beautiful to have a little pocket of home in London.
“There’s so many of us here.
“I feel really grateful and I’m really glad to have been asked to be part of it.
“I’m actually looking forward to looking at the other acts and chilling, hopefully not getting lost in the crowd but we’ll see.”
Of joining together with the other performers for the set Fia said: “Everyone is so talented and so wonderful.
“RuthAnne, who brought us all together, is like a force to be reckoned with.
“She’s just like an absolute boss, and I admire all the women so much individually so it’s just nice to come together and all sing.
“They all flew in especially for it and they’re all professionals so it all comes together but it’s incredible to sing alongside such talented people.”
“It’s just really beautiful, women supporting women.
“There’s so much talent in our small country and to have that network and to have that support- If there’s any queries or questions that we feel in the industry, we have a group that we can talk with and everyone’s so lovely and so supportive.
“2020 was obviously such a tough year but it really brought the community closer together especially the Irish music scene and the women. I feel really grateful to be part of it.”
Kíla’s Brian Hogan said: “It was amazing.
“It was pretty nippy but everyone was hopping around keeping themselves warm.
“It was great, great atmosphere.”
Asked if they found the crowd warmed up for them or it was the reverse of them revving the band up, Brian said: “It’s a bit of both. It works both ways.
“If they’re having a good time, we’ll have a good time.
“If we’re having a good time. they’ll have a good time.
“You’re gonna have to respond to them.
“We kind of decided, ‘We’re outdoor, make it fast and furious, keep it going. No time for contemplation. Hit the ground running’.
“I think this is the third or fourth time we’ve done this.
“It’s absolutely fabulous and we’re very lucky and privileged to be here.
“I think it’s a great occasion.
“Growing up you would have never thought this would have happened in London but it is and it’s great for all the Irish immigrants and people who have settled here to actually get a slice of home at the right time.
“We’re very happy and lucky to do it.
“Everyone was well behaved and a bit raucous as well.
“There’s a lot of youth out there going nuts which is great.
“You want to see lots of that and all these GAA t-shirts and everything, it’s fantastic.”
Colm Ó Snodaigh of Kíla told The Irish World: “It was great.
“We’ve been here a few times and it’s always great.
“It was cold today but wasn’t as cold as the last time we were here: The last time we were here, it was snowing.
“It’s always a great crowd.
“They’re always up for a party. Brilliant.
“The Irish music has travelled so far.
“It’s quite remarkable so to be able to travel to places and people appreciate the music is amazing.
“They were a fantastic crowd.
“It’s just an amazing gathering of people and that it happens year after year after year.
“You’re right in the middle of the empire and here we are, the colonised people, celebrating our music, our language, our inherent differences that made us want to be a free country, and that was really important because even though we built this whole country, we weren’t kind of looked upon as the same.
“You know the history but to come here and to be accepted as part of the melange of London life or English life is class.
“It’s just really, really fantastic.
“It just shows how far we’ve come.
“I’m just overwhelmed every single time.”