Remembering St Patrick's Day: How Cumbrians embraced all things Irish

Otherwise known as the Feast of Saint Patrick, the day is a religious and cultural holiday held annually on March 17, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick, the foremost patron saint of Ireland.
It commemorates the arrival of Christianity in Ireland and celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general, being marked by more countries than any other national festival.
Throughout the UK, including in Cumbria, the day is an excuse to dress in green and drink Guinness.

While there’s no sign of Guinness, there’s certainly plenty of green in the two pictures from Monkwray Court, in Whitehaven, in 2016.
The top one shows Josie Glover, left, and Freda McCrea in sparkly bow ties while, in the one above, Margaret Crawford and Kyle Connor are hijacked by leprechauns Janet Quinn, Sandra McKew and Jenna Cairns.

A warm Irish welcome was extended by Suzanne Smith, headteacher of St Bridget’s School in Egremont, for St Patrick’s Day.
Suzanne, from Omagh in Northern Ireland, had a sign on her office in Gaelic which read Céad míle fáilte, meaning a hundred thousand welcomes.

Coinciding with St Patrick’s Day, the Cheltenham Festival evokes the Irish spirit and a picture shows racegoer Albert Matlock wearing a scarf, giant green bow tie, comedy hat, wig and glasses.

In another image, jockey Tony McCoy receives a kiss from wife Chanelle after winning the Ryanair Chase on horse Uxizandre on St Patrick’s Day.

A fascinating picture from 1930 shows cup winners from Irish Street School, in Whitehaven, while children from St Gregory & St Patrick’s School are captured arriving at the town’s Gaiety Cinema.
Pictured are Marie Mills, Kendra Johnstone, Alisha Bruce and Ben Gunn.

Niamh Herald from Our Lady & St Patrick’s School in Maryport carried a homemade wreath at a Remembrance Day service and The Rose and Crown pub in Low Hesket near Carlisle served up a homemade Bailey’s Irish cream cheesecake.