St Patrick's Day parades around the world

Crowds gather at Trafalgar Square during the annual St Patrick's day parade through the streets of central London Photograph: Felipe Trueba/EPA

A banner calling for peace in Ireland during St Patrick's Day parade through central London. Mayor Boris Johnson went on to declare London to be the most Irish city outside of Ireland Photograph: Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images

Street performers in Tokyo. The Irish Network Japan is holding similar parades in other cities throughout Japan Photograph: Issei Kato/Reuters

A US delegate, complete with wacky glasses, takes a picture of Irish celebrations in the Green Zone in Baghdad Photograph: Ali Yussef/AFP/Getty Images

More celebrations in Baghdad: a corps of US army engineers team up with hospital staff to celebrate Photograph: Ali Yussef/AFP/Getty Images

Flying the flag (on the face) - a couple in central London Photograph: Felipe Trueba/EPA

British revellers pose in leprechaun coustumes. The beards aren't real, alas Photograph: Paul Brown / Rex Features/Paul Brown / Rex Features

It's all good craic: jaunty hats and flags abound Photograph: Stefan Wermuth/Reuters

Badges galore: a man wearing Irish pin badges in his scarf. Saint Patrick, incidentally, was British born Photograph: Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images

Michael Flatley would be proud. Or maybe not Photograph: Paul Brown / Rex Features/Paul Brown / Rex Features

Even dogs love the craic, you know Photograph: Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images

And pooches in Tokyo just cannot get enough Photograph: Issei Kato/Reuters

Come on Ireland! Photograph: Issei Kato/Reuters

A troupe of Irish setters, wearing sequins, in Tokyo Photograph: Issei Kato/Reuters