You imagine a fifth-century missionary would be surprised by the spread of what you might call ‘green fever’. St Patrick’s Day, originally a way for Christians to commemorate the Enlightener of Ireland, has bubbled into something else entirely. A day of pints and pubs, yes, but of parties too, and some seriously upmarket feasts at some of the city’s chicest spots.
It wasn’t always this way. Aside from the parade, the supersizing of St Patrick’s Day in the capital can arguably be traced back to Richard Corrigan, who hosts the Oscars of Irish restaurant parties in town: an annual bash to which he invites London’s culinary heavyweights to spend the morning sinking Guinness, Champagne, and shots of whiskey in what the chef calls “a thank you from me and the family to London”.
