Aussies celebrate St Patrick’s Day with pints and parades

Melbourne’s love for Guinness and the craic couldn’t hold them back from getting into the Irish spirit a day earlier.

Hundreds packed the streets of St Kilda to catch a glimpse of the celebrations as the St Patrick Day Festival held their family fun day on Saturday.

Dressed in their best green and top hats, Melburnians were treated to traditional dance, music as the parade snaked its way to O’Donnell Gardens.

The festival, in its fifth year, also held a family day in the parks which included a dog show with prizes up for grabs for the best dressed pooch, top tail wagger, and coolest canine.

Those who stuck around for a pint of Guinness were treated to the musical stylings of Pat McKernan, Eddie Simmons, Mac Crimimin and Ceili Band.

The Melbourne celebrations will continue into Sunday with an adults only event headlined by folk band the Tumbling Paddies County Fermanagh.

It’s just one of the many events taking place across the country this weekend to celebrate Irish culture.

St Patrick’s Day celebrations began as a day of religious observance for the patron saint of Ireland.

And while it is not considered an official holiday in Australia, the Irish and non-Irish alike view it as a day to celebrate the nation’s culture and heritage.

Across the nation, around 2.4m pints of Guinness will be downed, but Lion Australia has assured there will be no shortage of the black liquid.

“I can assure Australians they will not have any trouble finding a pint this weekend,” Lion Brand director of premium beer Albertus Lombard told The Daily Telegraph.

“We are bringing in millions of the stuff and it’s safe to say the majority of it will be in NSW.”

Brisbane hosted an Irish parade on Saturday, with a sea of marchers holding banners moving through the CBD.

Cindy and Monique Bowdler displayed some extravagant Irish spirit, with the elegant ladies walking on stilts and sporting Irish top hats.

Cathy and Al Nicholson, meanwhile, sported green and Mr Nicholson displayed a fierce and large orange beard.

Revellers in Sydney also soaked up pints of Guinness at the Australian Hotel and the Glenmore Hotel at the historic Rocks district ahead of Sunday’s Green fiesta.

Australian Hotel bar tenders Conor Mansfield and Emma Olrik showed off Guinness on-tap and pints of the legendary dark beverage on Saturday afternoon.