Thousands turn out to celebrate St Patrick's Day

Crowds gathered in St Julian’s on Tuesday to celebrate the Irish holiday of St Patrick’s Day, sporting green clothing and, in many cases, as tradition dictates, enjoying a pint of Guinness.

Thousands of revellers remained undeterred by the cloudy and windy conditions, heading to Spinola to celebrate the most famous of Ireland’s trio of patron saints.

A sea of green on Tuesday night. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli.

As in previous years, scores of Guinness-themed hats – and more elaborate designs – could be seen towering above the crowds, which filled the road leading up from Spinola Bay to Paceville.

Makeshift bars lined the road while music blared from at least four different DJ sets along different parts of the street. Curiously, one of the few Irish pubs in the area, the Dubliner, remained closed.

One of the few Irish bars in the area remained closed. Photo: Emma Borg.

The highest concentration of partygoers could be found at the top of the road, close to Quencher’s bar – which was doing a roaring trade as patrons lined up to grab a glass and get back to the festivities.

Onesie-clad 21-year-old Matthew said it was his first time at the celebration, but that he was “ready for the crowds”, adding – when questioned about his attire – he had worn the greenest thing he owned for the event.

Some hats featured a more elaborate design. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli.

Miss Universe St Julian’s winner Rose Marie Meza said it was her third time at the event, and that it was “great to see people here celebrating luck” — adding she hoped to have enough luck to see her through the next year.

St Julian’s mayor Guido Dalli said that while he was aware residents were not keen on the annual celebration, it was “wonderful to see so many people come together and enjoy each other’s company”.

The area was filled with revellers on Tuesday night. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli.

Speaking to Times of Malta earlier Tuesday, Victor Aquilina, proprieter of Saddles pub, claimed he started the tradition more than 12 years ago, with a bowl of Irish stew – noting that the first year saw only around 40 people turn up.

That is no longer the case, however, with the event growing to resemble a professional music festival, featuring a large stage equipped with PA speakers and extensive lighting rigs.

The event has grown since its humble beginnings. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli.

While a highlight for partygoers, St Patrick’s Day has proven to be a contentious issue for local authorities in the area over the years amid concerns over traffic diversions – with this year no exception.

On Saturday, the Sliema mayor said the council had been frozen out of talks to ensure traffic flows smoothly on St Patrick’s Day while accusing his St Julian’s counterpart of excluding Sliema from the discussions, sparking a clash between the two local councils.

Green was the order of the day on Tuesday. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli.

People were unafraid to don costumes for the celebrations. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli.

The annual celebration has proved popular. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli.

The St Julian's mayor rebuffed the suggestion, saying his council had not attended initial meetings as roadworks in the area were “still in flux at that point”.

The event has also proven controversial for St Patrick’s Day sponsor Project Green, the government’s agency tasked with creating green spaces, which earlier Tuesday defended its decision to sponsor the event hosted by its chief executive's son. The agency is providing financial support for cups being sold at the event.

St Julian's local council have published a list of road closures due to the event.

Interested to learn more about Ireland’s most famous saint? Read more on Times2.