007 actor Daniel Craig joins the St Patrick's day festivities

Even James Bond was a little bit Irish yesterday.

English actor Daniel Craig, best known as Her Majesty's top secret Agent 007, had a license to party yesterday as he paid a visit to Archbishop Timothy Dolan for the 250th annual St. Patrick's Day Parade.

The pair chatted outside St. Patrick's Cathedral as the temperatures climbed into the 60s and bathed the 200,000 marchers and estimated 2 million parade spectators in a balmy bath of blarney.

"St. Patrick really shone down bright on us today, with blue skies, beautiful weather and great friends," said the Rev. Jim Drew, 62, who came from County Cork in Ireland to watch the festivities.

The parade kicked off at Fifth Avenue and 44th Street, with author and Bronx native Mary Higgins Clark acting as the grand marshal for the historic sestercentennial edition of the parade.

The route went past St. Patrick's Cathedral and ended at 79th Street -- seven blocks shorter than previous years because of city cost-cutting measures that have shortened all parades.

It was the only gray cloud over the festivities.

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