Video and pictures: Shropshire soldiers celebrate St Patrick's Day
[gallery] Hundreds of soldiers celebrated St Patrick's Day in Shropshire with an annual parade as friends and families looked on.
A total of 200 members of the 1st Battalion the Royal Irish Regiment, based at Clive Barracks in Tern Hill, near Market Drayton, took part in the parade.
The event, which always takes place on the Saturday before St Patrick's Day, is an opportunity for soldiers and their families to get together and celebrate their Irish heritage and culture.
One of those to take part in the event was Ranger Luke Manion, 21, from Market Drayton, who is now a soldier in the Shropshire-based regiment.
He joined the battalion in September 2013 after attending Grove School and said he was thrilled to take part in the parade.
He said: "I grew up looking at the battalion and today is a great day to be part of it.
"Over the past two years I've gone all over the place – but St Patrick's Day is about saying thank you to friends and family."
Parents, children, wives and friends were all at the event.
Ranger Ryan Robinson, 21, from Telford, also joined the parade. He became part of the battalion in April 2014 after studying at Telford College of Art and Technology.
He said: "St Patrick's Day is important to me because it's about regimental pride and it's great to be with friends, family and veterans to share the experience."
Over the past 12 months the Royal Irish Regiment has deployed to Germany, Spain and Kenya. It will return to active duty operations and deploy to Kabul in December.
