There will be such a thing as a free lunch at the St Patrick’s Festival in Cork, as the city will be serving free vegetarian curry to up to 5,000 hungry visitors as part of a sustainable eating initiative.

Forget about mangy lions and escaping elephants, and you don’t even have to run away from home to join.

One of Cork’s best known market streets will host a huge festival celebrating the city’s heritage and music as part of this year’s heritage day event.