THOUSANDS of Irish residents of Shropshire will celebrate another St Patrick's Day hampered by the coronavirus lockdown this week.

Charity Irish in Britain said the March 17 celebration, which will take place without much of the usual festivities, is still an opportunity for everyone to honour the values of kinship and community.

The organisation's analysis of 2011 census data shows there were 1,200 people in Shropshire who were born in the Republic of Ireland – and a further 1,330 from Northern Ireland.

This means people from the island of Ireland made up around eight in every 1,000 residents in the area at the last official count – below the England average of 11.

Brian Dalton, chief executive of Irish in Britain, said: "This year's celebrations have made us seek new ways to stay in touch and honour the values of kinship and community.

"If there is any learning for us through such a difficult year it is how we relate and take care of each other, Irish or not.

"To friends, colleagues and Irish people wherever they may be, 'Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona duit (Happy St Patrick's Day).'"

However, Mr Dalton said the Irish community's profile was evolving, and recent estimates suggest the number of people in England and Wales who were born in the Republic of Ireland has fallen since the 2011 census.

He urged all those of Irish heritage to participate in the 2021 census, which takes place on Sunday, March 21, to ensure a more accurate picture of the Irish community in Britain today.

Irish heritage can also be recorded through national identity, passports held and ethnicity – with 1,410 people in Shropshire identifying as White-Irish at the time of the last census.

St Patrick's Day, which marks the anniversary of the death of Ireland's patron saint, is also typically celebrated by millions of people across the world who cannot trace their roots back to the country.