US parades cap St Patrick’s Day celebrations – a little early

The Chicago River is dyed green for St Patrick’s Day (WLS ABC 7 Chicago via AP)

People across the United States have celebrated their Irish heritage at several major St Patrick’s Day parades on Saturday.

They are marking the holiday a day early at events that included a big anniversary in Savannah, Georgia, and honoured a pioneering female business leader as grand marshal in New York.

A woman celebrates St Patrick's Day — The annual parade took place in New York (AP)

The holiday commemorates Ireland’s patron saint and was popularised largely by Irish Catholic immigrants.

While St Patrick’s Day falls on March 17, some parades were moved up from Sunday, a day of worship for the Christian faithful.

Chicago river dyed green — The Chicago River is dyed green ahead of St Patrick’s Day celebrations (AP)

Manhattan’s St Patrick’s Day Parade, which dates to 1762 – 14 years before the US Declaration of Independence – is one of the world’s largest Irish heritage festivities.

Megan Stransky of Houston and two relatives planned a Broadway weekend to coincide with the parade, seeing it as a prime opportunity to remember their family’s Irish roots and the traditions that helped shape their upbringing.

St Patricks Day Parade in New York — Bagpipers march along Fifth Avenue during the St Patrick’s Day Parade (AP)

The event did not disappoint. “There is no comparison to any other parade or city that I’ve been to,” Ms Stransky marvelled, as she took in the bagpipers, bands, police and military contingents and more.

The grand marshal, Irish-born Heineken USA chief executive Maggie Timoney, is the first female head of a major US beer company.

State Police in New York — State Police march along Fifth Avenue in New York City (AP)

At a pre-parade reception at New York’s mayoral residence, Irish Minister for Justice Helen McEntee hailed the recognition for Timoney and noted some other causes for celebrating Irish American links this year, including Irish actor Cillian Murphy’s best actor Oscar win last weekend.

New York City has multiple parades on various dates around its five boroughs – including, on Sunday, the first St Patrick’s Day parade allowing LGBTQ+ groups to march on Staten Island.

Green river canoeist — A kayaker floats on the Chicago River (AP)

Mayor Eric Adams last month announced the plan for the new, privately organised celebration, arranged after a local group had asked for years to join the borough’s decades-old parade. That longstanding event, which does not allow groups to march under LGBTQ+ banners, happened earlier this month.

The Manhattan parade began allowing LGBTQ+ groups and symbols in 2015, after decades of protests, legal challenges and boycotts by some politicians.

New York parade officials — Attorney General of New York, Letitia James, left, and New York Governor Kathy Hochul, march during the city parade (AP)

Ahead of Chicago’s parade, thousands of people ‘ many decked out in green with beers in hand ‘ gathered along the Chicago River to watch the local plumbers’ union boats turn the water green.

Organisers say the tradition, started by the union, uses an environmentally friendly powder once used to check pipes for leaks.