Capital kicks off weekend St Paddy's Day celebrations in style

One of the few Irish St Patrick’s Day celebrations that matches the splendour of those in America, a mix of paint, performances, pageantry, parades and parties, promises to make this year’s Dublin festival one of the most spectacular ever.

From Dublin Castle to Christ Church to Áras an Uachtaráin — and most buildings in between — there was only one colour evident last night with several of the city’s most iconic structures taking on an emerald hue. Even part of St Stephen’s Green was green.

Festival celebrations began in style as the GPO was illuminated to mark the beginning of the four-day St Patrick’s Festival. Other events included an outdoor céilí and the opening of the Irish craft beer and food market at the IFSC.

For the first time the organisers developed a three-year theme for the parade of “past, present and future”. The 2014 festival parade theme “let’s make history” looks to the past for its inspiration, in particular the 1,000th anniversary of the Battle of Clontarf.

Today, Dubliners and visitors will be able to walk in the footsteps of St Patrick, enjoy street performers and music during the afternoon and evening. New to the festival line-up this year is ‘Live on the Green,’ a free music stage featuring Jerry Fish as the headline act. There is also a Céilí House Live concert at The National Concert Hall.

Tomorrow has a sporting theme with thousands of runners expected to take part in the St Patrick’s 5km road race while competitors in the Irish University Boat Race will do battle for the Gannon Cup. More leisurely pursuits will involve a huge array of street music, performers and theatre.

Being the day that’s in it, Monday will feature the highlight of the festival with the traditional annual parade in Dublin city centre.

Featuring a number of floats representing Irish heritage and marching bands from around the world, the procession, which begins at noon, will once again draw tens of thousands onto the streets as it winds its way from Parnell Square to St Patrick’s Cathedral.

Elsewhere, Waterford will hold its parade on Monday at 1pm on The Quay and The Mall, while Limerick’s celebrations include the 44th International Band Championship on Sunday. The St Patrick’s Day parade, which starts from Punches’ Cross at noon, is expected to attract 70,000 onto the city’s streets. Anyone wearing green will be given free admission to the Hunt Museum where a number of cultural events begin at 2pm.