Revellers paint the town green for St Patrick’s Day: Partygoers cheers their pints of Guinness as they celebrate Ireland all over the UK

Revellers flocked to the streets for the St Patrick’s Day festivities, donning shamrocks, leprechaun hats and all things green in celebration of Ireland’s patron saint.

A day that observes the death of the saint and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland has long since been commemorated with copious amounts of booze and riotous fun.

And this year is no exception, with university students in Nottingham and Leeds painting the town green and orange.

Celebrations took place across the UK on Monday and into this morning, with crowds turning out to mark March 17 in towns and cities.

In London alone, more than 50,000 people watched the annual procession, which featured marching bands and Irish dance performances.

Nottingham university students on a night out celebrating St Patrick's Day strike a pose

Students dressed in green form queues for bars and night clubs in Nottingham as they pose for the camera

Two friends pose for the camera in leprechaun and shamrock headbands in Nottingham

A group of girls wearing green Irish sports attire on a Leeds St Patrick's Day night out

Drinkers in green were seen dressed to the nines in festive attire in Nottingham

And Britons are guzzling 100 million pints as St Patrick’s weekend sees all-time record Guinness sales.

Thousands of extra kegs were rushed to landlords as the black stuff boom sees 12million pints of Guinness alone drunk in bars over this weekend.

Pubs’ biggest weekend of the year so far is seeing five times more Guinness sold than average.

But there are fears taps will be drunk dry by the record rush, with demand even bigger than at Christmas when many bars ran out and stout sales leapt 20 per cent.

Nationwide drinking triggered by Cheltenham last week and the rugby’s Six Nations has left stocks even lower.

Bars are seeing an invasion of fancy dress party goers ordering Guinness, UK pubs’ best selling draft beer.

Barman Paul Sheils of Shenanigans, Southampton, Hampshire, said: ‘We’ve had 50 Guinness kegs delivered compared to the usual 20, but fingers crossed it’s enough.

‘The demand for it is unprecedented.’

Wetherspoon’s, cutting prices of Guinness in its 800 pubs on Monday to £3.15 in England and £2.99 in Scotland, said: ‘We’re reducing the price to mark St Patrick’s Day.’

In Ireland’s capital, thousands of people filled the city streets to watch the national St Patrick’s Day parade.

Party goers in Leeds

Shamrocks, leprechaun hats and green clothing were the go-to outfit choices for this group in Nottingham

Three girls show off their oversized shamrock glasses while drinking at a bar in Leeds

A group of friends wearing matching green hats and red fake beards in Nottingham

St Patrick's Day drinkers seen dressed in green tops, tall hats and themed glasses and headbands in Nottingham

A group of friends in green sports shirts and shamrocks strike a pose in Nottingham city centre

Two friends were seen in committed all green outfits as they partied in Nottingham

Children, adults and tourists packed Dublin’s city centre, sporting whimsical costumes and green and tricolour attire.

People began gathering at the parade barriers early in the morning as they eagerly awaited the noon start time.

Pub workers spent their day pouring pints of Guinness as boozy revellers enjoyed Ireland’s most popular brew.

The Dublin parade featured performers dressed in dazzling costumes making their way past Dublin’s landmark streets.

St Patrick’s Day commemorates Ireland’s patron saint and has become a popular holiday worldwide.

Irish flags are painted on to the faces of two revellers in Leeds

Two girls out for St Paddy's Day in Leeds pose for the camera, wearing green and orange outfits

Three friends drinking pints of Guinness at a bar in Leeds

One woman was seen doing an Irish jig in the street and jumping impressively high in the air in Nottingham

The festivities lined the streets in Nottingham as party goers formed queues and crowds

Friends celebrating with a night out, with shamrock stickers forming part of their costume

A group of friends poses for the camera, wearing Irish colours, green tops and with DIY green felt pen decorations

A group of friends whose tops read 'let's get the Paddy started' drinking at a bar in Leeds

Dublin’s St Patrick’s Day Parade started at noon today, pulling in more than half a million spectators who lined the streets to celebrate Ireland’s rich heritage.

Revellers in fancy dress flooded the streets, striking poses for the cameras and waving the Irish flag.

The vibrant display featured more than 4,000 participants, including international marching bands, performers, dancers, and elaborate floats.

To accommodate the festivities, several city center roads were closed and attendees were advised to utilize public transportation.

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