Sport, weather no match for Paddy’s power

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.

An estimated 650,000 people watched the country’s largest parade as the streets of the capital turned into a sea of green to celebrate the national holiday.

However, the weather turned proceedings into something of a damp squib last night when wintry conditions led to the cancellation of the planned Skyfest fireworks display in the city’s docklands area.