Ms McPhie said research by one major pub chain had found St George's Day was now its busiest single-day celebration, behind St Patrick's Day and Mother's Day.
BBC: NEWS | UK | England | St George's Day grows in strength
The events took place on Tuesday because St Patrick's Day fell on a Sunday this year.
Mr Obama also met the Irish Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Enda Kenny at a St Patrick's Day lunch.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have attended a St Patrick's Day parade at a military barracks.
The meeting was part of St Patrick's Day celebrations at the White House.
St Patrick's Day is on 17 March, which invariably falls in Festival week.
Belfast looks likely to host two St Patrick's Day parades as rival groups bid for funding from the city council.
BBC: News | Northern Ireland | Rivals plan separate St Patrick's Day parades
Members of a Stormont committee have clashed over how many MLAs go to Washington for St Patrick's Day at taxpayers' expense.
It will be turned green on St Patrick's Day (17 March) and it will be illuminated orange and purple to mark Orangefest (12 July).
Organisers said it was the biggest St Patrick's Day event in the UK City of Culture to date, involving 40 groups from the city.
The relatives had challenged the commission's ruling not to impose any restrictions on a nationalist parade through the town on St Patrick's Day, 17 March.
The former Republic of Ireland international had been at an event celebrating St Patrick's Day on Sunday, 20 March 2011 when he was taken ill.
The west Belfast based Feile an Phobail (People's Festival) has been the driving force behind the organisation of Belfast's St Patrick's Day parade since 1997.
BBC: News | Northern Ireland | Rivals plan separate St Patrick's Day parades
And it is worth pointing out that this year's St Patrick's Day reception did not have the same razzmataz as the ones during Bill Clinton's time.
But another group has already organised St Patrick's Day parades to Belfast city centre over the past two years and claim that their event is inclusive.
BBC: News | Northern Ireland | Rivals plan separate St Patrick's Day parades
Mr Justice Coghlin heard submissions at the High Court on behalf of families opposed to the route of the St Patrick's Day parade before dismissing the application.
It is exactly 100 years since Queen Victoria decreed that Irish Regiments wear a sprig of shamrock in the head dress on St Patrick's day on 17 March.
On its website, the council promoted the St Patrick's Day festival by saying that "diverse communities" from throughout County Tyrone would participate in a wide variety of cultural events.
Sinn Fein councillor Sean Begley - who chaired Omagh District Council's organising committee for the St Patrick's Day celebrations - criticised his unionist colleagues for a "lack of leadership".
Unionists are no longer represented on Belfast City Council's St Patrick's Day Carnival Committee since a flags dispute shortly before the parade led to their withdrawal earlier this year.
BBC: News | Northern Ireland | Rivals plan separate St Patrick's Day parades
Mr Obama announced on St Patrick's Day at a meeting with Mr Kenny in the White House, that he would like to visit his ancestors' birthplace in Moneygall, County Offaly.
Meanwhile, Sinn Fein may also find itself locked out of George Bush's White House, and struck off the guest list for his annual St Patrick's Day party on March 17th.
The big screen at city hall will show live rugby and GAA action over the St Patrick's Day weekend, as well as films including The Quiet Man and Into the West.
On Wednesday, the Republic's tourism minister, Leo Varadkar, said it was "regrettable" that those involved in the protest would not consider relocating for a few days during the St Patrick's Day celebrations.
The campaign was started when the pub industry noticed many English people would always go out drinking to celebrate St Patrick's Day, yet did not even know when St George's Day was.
BBC: NEWS | UK | England | St George's Day grows in strength
Mr Begley said nationalist councillors had already made a gesture to unionists by agreeing to move the date of the parade to Monday, because St Patrick's Day had fallen on a Sunday.
Although Ireland is struggling economically, the whole of Dublin will be buzzing because it was St Patrick's Day on Thursday and the Cheltenham Festival has been a huge success for the Irish.
The Queen Mother's links to Northern Ireland are cemented every year when she presents the Irish Guards with a shamrock on St Patrick's Day, a tradition begun in 1900, the year she was born.
Party president Gerry Adams led the Sinn Fein delegation at their first meeting with the secretary of state, since the parties returned last week from St Patrick's Day celebrations at the White House in Washington.
One factor here is that a number of Northern Ireland MPs who may be in the US for St Patrick's Day, and who won't get back in time - given that this could be a very tight vote, that factor could even be decisive.
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