Up to 3,000 community arts, sports. and music groups from across Cork and beyond will take part in this year’s St Patrick’s Day Parade, the centerpiece of what will be a four-day celebration of the county’s cultural diversity.

Cork City’s St Patrick’s Festival of music, fun, and food kicks off today in a three-day spree expected to attract 100,000 spectators.

Cyclist Stephen Roche is the Grand Marshal of the 2014 St. Patrick’s Festival Parade.

The stars and stripes blended easily into a sea of green in tourist-haven Killarney as early American visitors, some dressed like overgrown leprechauns, joined in St Patrick’s Day festivities.

Final preparations are being made ahead of the St. Patrick's Day celebrations in Dublin tomorrow and football legend John Giles says he is honoured to be acting as Grand Marshal.

Football legend John Giles has been announced as the Grand Marshal of the St. Patrick's Day parade in Dublin.

Fresh controversy linked to the Government’s decision to close its Vatican embassy has erupted, as a senior US cleric has turned down an invitation to a St Patrick’s Day event at which Taoiseach Enda Kenny will speak.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny will celebrate his first St Patrick’s Day in office at The White House with US President Barack Obama as thousands throng Dublin for the world-famous parade.

IF Captain Hook represented the recession, he was well and truly chased out of Cork yesterday as 60,000 people put the economic woes behind them to watch the St Patrick’s Day parade.

DUBLIN city centre was awash with green yesterday as an estimated 650,000 people viewed the traditional St Patrick’s Day parade.

SCORING three tries in two Test matches in the space of a fortnight will take some beating for rugby-mad 22-year-old Keith Earls but yesterday he again found himself in the limelight as the Grand Marshal of the Limerick St Patrick’s Day Parade.

LIMERICK rugby hero Keith Earls will line out in front of tens of thousands on St Patrick’s Day– but this time he’ll tog out in a different shade of green from his international kit.

Former goalkeeper Packie Bonner will lead a green army through the streets of the capital this month at the annual St Patrick’s Day parade.

One of Ireland's most renowned former athletes has been named as the Grand Marshal for this year's St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin.

DESPITE the competing sporting attractions of rugby, GAA and cricket and variable weather conditions, several hundred thousand turned out in Dublin on Saturday to partake in the annual St Patrick’s Day festivities.

Around 650,000 people today lined the streets of Dublin as one of the world’s biggest street parties paraded through the capital.

TWO legendary giant celtic characters descended on Limerick yesterday to help launch the forthcoming St Patrick’s Springfest.

DESPITE the wintry conditions, hundreds of thousands of people turned out for yesterday’s St Patrick’s Day parade in Dublin.