The Irish spirit descended on the Byward Market in Ottawa Thursday, with green revelers drinking green beer and donning shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day.
St. Patrick's Day honours Ireland's patron saint, Patrick. The day is spent as a religious national holiday in Ireland.
In Canada, many people – no matter what their heritage – dress in green and pay tribute to the Irish by having a green beer.
The Irish have a rich history in the Ottawa-area. Irish immigrants made up almost 60 per cent of the labourers who built the Rideau Canal in the 1800s.
After coming to the capital, many decided to settle in the Ottawa region.
