Thousands start celebrating St Patrick's festival

Thousands of people were celebrating the feast of St Patrick in Dublin today as an action-packed festival got under way.

Pop acts including Darius, Picture House and Fifth Avenue were among the stars entertaining the crowds in the capital’s Merrion Square.

Fairground rides, an inflatable wrestling ring and Paddyoke – Irish-style karaoke – were just a few of the attractions for the thousands of visitors making the most of the bank holiday weekend sunshine.

The festivities burst into action last night when some 6,000 fireworks were set off alongside the city quays.

Meanwhile in towns and cities across the country last minute preparations were going ahead for tomorrow’s St Patrick’s Day parades.

Pop star Samantha Mumba is to be Grand Marshal at Dublin’s event, which will set off on its city centre route at about noon.

Pageants and bands will march through Dame Street and O’Connell Street in what is set to be the biggest St Patrick’s Day parade the capital has ever seen.

There will be 13 street theatre acts and 17 Irish and international bands among the 3,800 performers taking part.

Organisers expect more than half a million people to turn out for the event and have advised people to arrive early to secure their places along the route.

Extra rail services are being put on to cope with the extra people travelling into the city.

After the parade revellers are set to gather in St Stephen’s Green for the giant Ceili Mor, where they will try out their dance steps to traditional Irish music.

Across Ireland bands were preparing for parades – although for the first time a number have had to be cancelled because of high insurance costs.

Some 250,000 people were expected to travel through Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports over the weekend, said Ireland’s airports-operating company, Aer Rianta.