A supersized St Patrick’s Day:

This year, London has a host of particularly impressive Irish celebrations. Here are the best on offer

- David Ellis and Millie Miliken

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 this way a few years ago. The supersizing of St Patrick's Day in the capital can arguably be traced back to Richard Corrigan who, for the past decade, has hosted an annual bash to which he invites London's culinary heavyweights to spend the morning sinking pints of Guinness and sipping Champagne spiked with shots of Bushmills whisky.

Corrigan's annual party is now well over a decade old, and what once was a small affair - two dozen chefs or so has grown into one of the year's must-attend parties, especially among London's food set. Chefs and critics alike who can't be bothered with the Michelin ceremony will happily put on their glad rags and turn up at the Irishman's gaff at 9.30am to chuck back the oysters and belt out The Auld Triangle, but so too will the likes of dancer Wayne Sleep and actor Adrian Dunbar of Line of Duty fame. Afterwards, it will spill into a pub; last year, Groucho boss Ewan Venters was spotted lunching and pinting at the Guinea Grill with Ed Sheeran, Jimmy Carr and Niall Horan.

"St Patrick's really signals the end of winter; once you get past it, the sun starts shining. It really is a celebration," says Oisin Rogers, who ran the Guinea back then. "Last year was the busiest day the pub ever had anybody who was anybody was there, and even people who weren't say they were."