The first official St Patrick’s Day parade did not take place in Ireland but was recorded in New York when a band of Irish ex-patriots and Irish men serving in the British Army marched through the streets while playing pipes and singing Irish songs. It did not become a public holiday in Ireland until 1900.

The Irish connection with Malta can be traced back to the turn of the 20th century when the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, an Irish infantry regiment of the British Army who were stationed in Floriana, would naturally celebrate St Patrick’s Day in the area.

For them, the day became a reason to get together and remember home, as many Irish people still do today. Because of them, celebrating St Patrick’s Day in Malta has become an annual feast which sees thousands of people celebrate all that’s good about the Irish.

This year, the Irish Prison Service Pipe Band, which numbers almost 25 band members, is visiting Malta and will organise a host of events, ending their performances at the Hilton on St Patrick’s Day.

Recently, Irish native, Exante Ltd’s director of communications, Patrick O’ Brien paid a courtesy call to Cork Lord Mayor Keiran Mc Carthy, where they discussed the important role Irish expats play in keeping the Irish spirit and traditions alive.

“You know you are part of one of the great diasporas on earth when 70 million people worldwide claim Irish blood, yet there are only six million people now in Ireland,” O’ Brien said.

“On my recent visit to Ireland, I spent time with the business communities, meeting with many Irish entrepreneurs all spreading their projects globally. It makes you understand why we are now the fastest-growing economy in the EU and why the Irish passport remains the most powerful in the world,” he added.