Thousands gather in Dublin as St. Patrick's Day celebrations return for the first time in 3 years

The St. Patrick's Day parade returned to Dublin for the first time in two years.Charles McQuillan/Getty Images.

• Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Dublin on Thursday to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
• Festivities returned after the pandemic forced organizers to cancel in 2020 and 2021.

Thousands gathered on the streets of Dublin on Thursday to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

The St. Patrick's Day parade returned to Dublin for the first time in three years.      Charles McQuillan/Getty Images.

The holiday is celebrated annually on March 17 but this year, festivities were ramped up as people poured back onto the streets to celebrate after two years.

People gathered to watch the parade in Dublin.      Charles McQuillan/Getty Images.

In Dublin City centre, the annual festival and parade returned. The parade was cancelled the previous two years in a bid to reduce the spread of COVID-19 infections, but the festival organizers estimated that around 400,000 turned out to watch this year.

The St. Patrick's Day parade returned to the streets of Dublin.      Charles McQuillan/Getty Images.

The National Museum of Ireland has also been transformed into a "Festival Quarter" for the entire weekend, complete with a 3,000 capacity outdoor stage, comedy tent, food and craft beers.

Around 400,000 turned up to watch the parade in Dublin.      Allen Kiely Photography.

Speaking ahead of the festivities, pub owners told Insider that they were prepared for a busy day ahead ...

People packed onto the streets in Dublin's Temple Bar area.      Charles McQuillan/Getty Images.

... Connor Kennedy, who works at The Auld Dubliner in Dublin's popular Temple Bar area, said he was preparing to see the pub at full capacity for the entire day — from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. After two years without celebrations, "people are ready to party," he said.

The area outside the Temple Bar pub looked empty two days before St. Patrick's Day in 2021.      PAUL FAITH/AFP via Getty Images.

Kevin Say, the manager at Fitzgerald's pub in Dublin also said the pub would be jammed, hitting around 150-200 people at full capacity. The manager also said that beers would be served with green food dye in honour of St. Patrick's Day.

People packed into Dublin's popular Temple Bar area to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.      Charles McQuillan/Getty Images.

The capital city is also expected to see more tourists pour to celebrate the holiday after a two-year break in public celebrations. Dublin Airport said it expected to see 800,000 passengers pass through in the 12 day period from March 12 to March 24.

Crowds flock onto the streets of Dublin to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.      Charles McQuillan/Getty Images.

Across the country, annual parades also reconvened in the cities of Belfast, Cork and Galway. More than 2,500 participants were expected to the streets of Cork for the first St. Patrick's day parade in two years, The Cork Echo reported.

St. Patrick's Day festivities returned to Dublin.      Charles McQuillan/Getty Images.

In Washington DC, the annual St. Patrick's day tradition for Ireland's leader to present a bowl of shamrock to the US President was once again put on old after Prime Minister Micheál Martin tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday. The ceremony has been held virtually for the last two years.

President Biden met with Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin virtually.      Win McNamee/Getty Images.

Elsewhere, other global landmarks and tourist sites were transformed to celebrate the Irish holiday. The Chicago River was dyed green, in a tradition which has been ongoing since 1962, per NPR …

The Chicago River was dyed green for St. Patrick's Day.      REUTERS/Eric Cox.

... While in New York, the annual parade down 5th avenue also returned for the first time since 2019.

People gathered on 5th Avenue, New York, for the St. Patrick's Day parade.      ANDREW KELLY/REUTERS.

The parade is the oldest and largest St. Patrick's Day parade in the world, according to its organizers. Around 150,000 people march in the parade, which attracts around two million spectators, per the parade website.

The St. Patrick's Day parade on 5th Avenue, New York.      ANDREW KELLY/REUTERS.