YORK is going green this weekend as the York Irish Association gears up for its biggest festival to date.

The association’ s sixth annual York Irish St Patrick’s Weekend Festival will be held from Friday to Sunday.

As part of the festival, the city walls will be lit up green and Irish music, ceilidhs and dancing performances will entertain locals and visitors in the city centre.

The celebrations start with a blue plaque unveiling on Friday. The association is partnering up with the York Civic Trust to have a plaque made to mark the impact that the Irish community have had in York.

The plaque will be unveiled in Melrose Yard, off Walmgate, at 11am.

Walmgate and the surrounding areas was the historical hub of the Irish community in York following the famine in Ireland in the middle of the 19th Century. Following the unveiling, historian John Powell will be giving a walking tour of all the all the places with connections to the Irish in York.

On Friday evening, the association is bringing Tourism Ireland’s Global Greening Initiative to York for the second year running as part of the St Patrick’s Celebrations.

The Global Greening Initiative sees famous attractions and sites around the world lit up in green to mark St Patrick’s Day.

Part of the city walls close to Lendal Bridge and Clifford’s Tower will both be bathed in green light from Friday to Sunday in the evening time and again on St Patrick’s Day itself on Tuesday.

The main festival then kicks off on Saturday at 11am with a range of Irish culture activities in a marquee on St Sampson’s Square.

This includes music performances from the likes of singer-songwriter Paula Ryan, Dougie Smith, the Flying Donkeys and 2 Bob as well as a ceilidh with Fiddlers Wreck.

There will also be Irish dancing performances from the O’Connor Academy of Irish Dance and the Field Academy of Irish Dance.

On Sunday, there will be more performances with highlights such as an Irish-themed dance class for kids, music from harpist Catriona Cannon, an afternoon ceilidh and a Gaelic football demonstration.

In addition, there will be a history of the Irish in York display, traditional Irish food and drink, children’s facepainting and a raffle with great prizes.

The whole festival is free to attend.

The activities are all about celebrating and continuing to bring an understanding of Irish tradition and culture to York, bringing fun and enjoyment to the city for people of all ages who have an interest in Irish culture and celebrating the unique connections between York and Ireland.

Brendan Tannam, the chair of the York Irish Association, said: “We are really excited to be hosting what is now our sixth annual York Irish St Patrick’s Festival this weekend.

“It’s always a fantastic atmosphere in St Sampson’s Square, with a mix of Irish dancing performances, live music, ceilidhs and much more.

“We are also particularly excited this year to partner up with York Civic Trust to have a blue plaque unveiled in Walmgate dedicated to the Irish community in York.”