Thousands of Londoners have taken to the streets for the fifth annual St Patrick's Day parade.
A Saint Patrick on stilts entertained the crowds
Irish dancers, floats and bands wound through central London, while Irish band Hothouse Flowers performed in Trafalgar Square.
Water in the square's fountains was dyed green for the day, Irish food was sampled in Covent Garden and a Ceilidh was performed in Leicester Square.
Organisers say celebrations now rival those in New York, Boston and Chicago.
The parade left Park Lane and passed through Piccadilly Circus, Lower Regent Street, Trafalgar Square and Whitehall.
Among more than 4,000 performers were singer-songwriter Gemma Hayes and Brian Kennedy who is to represent Ireland at this year's Eurovision Song Contest.
Both Prime Minister Tony Blair and Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern praised the event, which recognises London's large Irish community - a third of Irish people in Britain live in London.
London mayor Ken Livingstone told BBC London: "It's a great day out.
"It's not just St Patrick's Day, we celebrated Russian New Year in January, Chinese New Year and this year, for the first time, we will celebrate the Muslim festival of Eid in Trafalgar Square.
"We have got such a great city because people get on so well and we want to enjoy all the parties that we can have."