For many years going across the waters to Denmark to experience and photograph the St.Patrick’s Day celebrations in Copenhagen was an annual ritual for me, a marker that spring was approaching, and that warmer weather wasn’t far off in the distance. During the pandemic that was obviously suspended and only came back last year, on a slightly smaller scale. This year though it was fully back in my opinion. So it was a delight to photograph and enjoy together with my fellow photographers from the photo club. I did NOT expect there to be 10 of us going across the water (last year we were only 2), but the more the merrier!

*Some of the photo “gang” getting ready to board the train for Copenhagen*

We started as always with the Shamrock Love Three-Legged Charity Race, a tradition in Copenhagen since the early 2000s. I’ve always enjoyed photographing this slightly bizarre, but fun event where two runners get tied together to form a three-legged, often quite unwieldy “creature” that is then sent on its way through the streets of Copenhagen on a 2.5 kilometer run (or walk, or hobble…or crawl) between a few pubs before landing at The Dubliner, the biggest Irish pub in town, where the mood and crowd is always quite upbeat on St.Patrick’s Day.

The race is put on for charity and all proceeds go to worthy causes, like hospital clowns and orphanages in less fortunate parts of the world and from what I read the other day this year they gathered almost 30,000 Danish crowns (around 4,300 USD), which is very impressive! So not only do the participants get to have a fantastic time with other revelers, their entrance fee is used for good. All in all a good thing I’d say! And this year they had all the spots filled, all 100 slots for teams of two were filled, so the sidewalk outside Kennedy’s Irish Bar that was the rallying point and start of the race got pretty full just before the first couples were sent off on their way.

It added a certain amount of excitement that there was a somewhat busy bicycle path and a bus stop right next to the starting area, so those of us moving around with cameras had to be extra vigilant not to get smushed by either a two-wheeled vehicle or a multi-ton bus! All in good fun though and no one was actually that close to getting hit. There were volunteer marshalls keeping a pretty good eye out for the bikes and issuing warnings when one approached the revelers.

*The first group of runners are about to take off.*

At two o clock the first group were sent off, after being served the first glass of beer they’d have to consume on the race (one at each pub stop) and the people of Copenhagen were treated to the sight of many people hobbling along while laughing hysterically, many of them in various stages of green attire.

*I do not have confidence in my balance to do a three-legged race, let alone a FOUR-legged one!*

After a quick calory refill of burgers and a beer at the Hard Rock Café at Rådhuspladsen we went to the second part of the celebration - the music and dance performance at Rådhuspladsen, followed by the St.Patrick’s Day Parade. The crowds at the square were DEFINITELY larger than last year - back then it looked pretty desolate to be honest (the weather was slightly better this year as well, not as fierce arctic wind blasts this year). People seemed to have a good time, enjoying the music and dance performances as well as a sip or two of Irish beers and coffee (enhanced with something stronger).

Personally I didn’t end up with many keepers of the performers, but that is okay. I’ve done this trip so many times that I’ve done those photos to my liking in previous years. I didn’t feel the need to push my way to the front of the stage to take pictures showing the acrobatic skills of the dancers - been there, done that before. This year I was more interested in photographing the people in the square who enjoyed the event.

And as is the tradition the last part of the day’s events for me was to take pictures as the parade left the square for their stroll through the streets of Copenhagen. I have walked along with the parade one or two times before, taking their pictures from various points along the way, but this year I did not have the energy to do so, so walk-by photos from a fixed position was plenty enough for me.