icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
17 Mar, 2019 16:16

St. Patrick’s Day: From Japan to Africa to US and ‘space’, world goes green (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)

St. Patrick’s Day: From Japan to Africa to US and ‘space’, world goes green (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)

With St Patrick’s Day falling on a Sunday this year, Irish and non-Irish alike have been given a whole weekend to get fully “involved” in the festivities. RT brings you some of the best Paddy’s Day action from around the globe.

Most Irish will scoff at the cliché of drinking beer that’s been dyed green. However, when it comes to illuminating iconic buildings, they can’t get enough. This year, even Ethiopia has got involved, with 2019 marking the first time the rock-hewn Bete Giyorgis church in Lalibela has been turned green as part of the Global Greening initiative.

This Irish in Chicago have no such scruples about what can and can’t be green on March 17, with its river once again pumped with green goo to give it that wonderful radioactive glow.

Visiting the Windy City on Saturday was controversial Irish MMA star Conor McGregor, who joined a surprised Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at the head of its parade. The Notorious also found time to ride the plumbers float blasting the Backstreet Boys, before shipping up to Boston to psych up the Bruins hockey team.

Also on rt.com ‘He wasn’t representing Ireland’: Irish PM upstaged by Conor McGregor at Chicago St Patrick’s parade

Those hoping to catch the parade in Dingle, County Kerry in Ireland’s southwest had to be up very early in order to catch its pre-dawn march at 6am. Officially the earliest parade in Ireland, the tradition dates back to the 1880s when the ruling British authorities banned marching during daylight hours in a bid to prevent militant agrarianism.

It’s not all party when it comes to St. Paddy’s Day though. US troops stationed in Japan took the opportunity to show their strength by hurling a massive “Blarney Stone,” seemingly unaware that one needs to actually kiss the rock in order gain the much sought after “gift of the gab.”

And what about the Irish love for a good sing-song? Irish-American actor and Brooklyn native Malachy McCourt was spotted serenading Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez with a folk classic on the streets of New York.

Even NASA got in on the spirit of the Irish with a video showing that celebrating St Patrick’s Day is truly out of this world

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!

Podcasts
0:00
23:13
0:00
25:0