Events - At a Glance!

September 2007 - Social Night

September 2007 - MPS Police Memorial

October 2007 - National Police Memorial

November 2007 - AGM - NSY

December 2007 - Ireland Trip - TBC 

January 2008 - Post Christmas Party

March 2008 - St Patrick's Day Party

St Patrick's Festival Week

St Patrick's Day Parade 16 March

This year the St Patrick's Day Parade and Festival will take place on Sunday 16th March 2008. The Parade will start at Hyde Park Corner at 12:00 (noon) and finish in Whitehall where the revellers can head towards the festival areas of Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square and Covent Garden.

The Festival then takes over for the rest of the afternoon within the landmarks of the West End and is an ideal opportunity to experience Irish foods, crafts, dance, culture and music. Here is the official line up of what's going on where.

11.30 - 12 Irish tenors
12.10 - Ann Scott
12.55 - Celtic Masters
1.25 - Speeches
1.50 - Joe Brown
2.40 - Luka Bloom
3.40 - Roisin Murphy
4.55 - Aslan
5.45 - Finale

Join old friends and make new ones at the St Patrick’s Day celebrations in the Café on the Square. Experience some traditional Irish hospitality and sample a taste of the Emerald Isle with a great tasting Irish food and drink. Enjoy the craic with our fabulous range of beers, beverages, broths, barmbrack, boxty and various Irish delights…

Café on the Square is located at the base of the central staircase, just to the right as you face the National Gallery. The café is wheelchair accessible and has a low level counter and an induction loop.

Covent Garden

Come and enjoy some of Ireland's finest food and drink at the Bord Bia Speciality Irish Food Market on 15 and 16 March. Bursting with Irish fare, it promises to be a gastronomic delight for food and drink lovers everywhere.

Leicester Square

Leicester Square hosts the Irish Cultural Village. It will feature a variety of Irish music, song, dance, crafts and children's activity.

12.00 - London Comhaltas Musicians
12.30 - The London Irish Pensioner's Choir
1.00 - Ceili Band
2.00 - Ceim Oir Dance Company
3.00 - Ceili Band
4.00 - Ceim Oir Dance Company
5.00 - West London Branch of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, Senior Plearacha Group

The Children’s area will be packed with creative children's activities to the festivities for St. Patrick's Day. Located across one entire side of Leicester Square, all the fun is FREE and will include roving entertainers, an arty crafts area where kids can wade through the materials on offer and get involved in activities that are quick and creative, from painting t-shirts to making lucky clovers and hand prints.

Fabulous Face Painters will be on hand to colour smiles, braid hairs, and trace fun tattoos.

There are Challenges and skill tests, while fun tumbles are everywhere in the Under 5's Area.

The Federation of Irish Societies Health Bus will be providing a range of information and advice on health related issues including diet, alcohol, smoking, diabetes, mental health, exercise, sexual health and more. Qualified NHS nurses will also be on hand to check your blood pressure and cholesterol and answer any specific questions you have.

Irish Film Screening

Prince Charles Theatre

At The Prince Charles Cinema from 2.30pm

Emerald Society Members

We need your support. We need you to come and join us with your families in the parade. This is a family day out with numerous events being laid on in London for you and your family to enjoy.

The MPS Emerald Society & Society Pipes and Drums are meeting between 0900 hours and 1000 hours in The Audley Public House, Mount Street W1, J/W Upper Audley Street. Tea, coffee and an egg and bacon roll will be provided prior to us forming up for the parade at 1200 noon. Shamrock is also being provided to those members taking part in the parade.

Following the Emerald Society members will be three police cars; two of these are classic cars, one from the Met and one from TVP. The third car is an American Sheriffs police cruiser from COPs (Care of Police Survivors) charity.

Once the parade is finished we will head to Charring Cross police station to change out of our uniforms and park up the vehicles in the underground car park. Any bags that you have will be transported from the start of the parade to the finish.

The Emerald Society will then host its post St Patrick’s Day party in the Crooked Surgeon, 5 Lisle Street, Leicester Sq from 2pm. This venue is a five-minute walk from Trafalgar Sq. We have booked the upstairs function room, which can hold up to 150 persons and has a separate staircase to this floor so there is no need to go through the main bar. Children of all ages are allowed into this venue.

Event Links

London Irish Centre (Camden)