New York: New York's 243rd St Patrick's Day parade set off on its traditional route along Fifth Avenue yesterday in below-freezing temperatures and lingering snow flurries.
Spectators chipped ice from viewing stands before filling the seats along the route. With New York on heightened alert following the Madrid bombings, extra police and equipment were deployed.
New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said, "We have to be cognisant of what's happening in the world around us. Clearly we want the public to be more vigilant."
At St Patrick's Cathedral, Cardinal Edward Egan led prayers for the Fighting 69th, a mechanised infantry division which evolved from a 19th-century all-Irish New York regiment. The Fighting 69th, no longer all Irish, paraded in combat uniform and will shortly be deployed to Iraq.
"We've had our 9/11, Madrid has had its 3/11," Cardinal Egan said. "We in New York understand and New York is at one with them."
The 150,000 strong-parade, the largest St Patrick's Day event in the world, was led by Grand Marshall Tommy Gleason, a lawyer and son of the noted labour leader, Teddy Gleason, who was grand marshal in 1984.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg marched with contingents of police, firefighters and sanitation workers, though he was unhappy with the ban on gay and lesbian groups, which had "unfortunately" been applied again this year.
The "Irish Queers" group staged impromptu events along the route to protest at the "moralistic, militaristic grandstanding" of the organisers.
Before the parade started, the Cara Showband attracted admirers as it performed Irish songs against a background of snow-laced trees at 51st Street.
After the march, Commissioner Kelly joined the annual Kelly Gang gathering at Michael's Restaurant, which this year honoured Michael Kelly, editor of Atlantic Monthly, who was killed in Iraq.
Irish America magazine's annual Irish-American of the Year title went to Mr John Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO, an umbrella organisation of 64 member unions. Mr Sweeney is the son of immigrants from Co Leitrim.
As part of St Patrick's week events the Minister for the Gaeltacht, Rural and Community Affairs, Mr Ó Cuív, rang the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday.