Irish Guards celebrates St Patrick's Day with Irish wolfhound mascot leading the parade

Members of the Irish Guards have come together for a special St Patrick's Day Parade and celebration in Aldershot.

The 250 Irish Guardsmen marched onto Parade Square at Mons Barracks led by their mascot, a three-year-old Irish wolfhound called Seamus, who later received his own shamrock collar.

The day marked the first time in nearly a year that a full contingent of Irish Guardsmen had come together for a parade.

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The regiment has had a busy year with 17 separate deployments to six African countries, as well as having delivered basic infantry training to 2,000 Ukrainian personnel in the UK.

The Irish Guards family is made up of 1st Battalion Irish Guards, Number 9 Company Irish Guards, Number 12 Company Irish Guards, The Band of the Irish Guards, Reserves from Number 15 (Loos) Company Irish Guards (the London Guards), Irish Guards veterans and cadets and, of course, Seamus the Irish Guards Pipes and Regimental Mascot.

The last occasion that the Guardsmen all came together was the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III, an event in which 236 Irish Guards officers and soldiers took part.

The St Patrick's Day parade is significant for the regiment, as it proudly honours its Irish cultural heritage.

Lady Ghika, the wife of the Regimental Lieutenant Colonel, Major General Sir Christopher Ghika, presented shamrocks to officers and warrant officers, who then issued them among the ranks.

The parade concluded with a march-past where Maj Gen Sir Christopher took the salute.

After the parade concluded and official Officers' and Sergeants' Mess photographs were taken, everyone assembled continued a longstanding tradition by raising a toast with a glass of Guinness.