Planning underway for next year's Patrick's Day parade

St Patrick’s Day may be an annual event – but organisers of the Dublin celebration are already planning next year’s celebrations.

It takes 18 months to plan Dublin’s five-day St Patrick’s Festival, with every detail checked to ensure the event passes without a hitch.

Running for more than a decade, the festival has grown from a mere parade through the capital into days and nights of street parties and celebrations.

St Patrick’s Day is celebrated in more countries around the world than any other national holiday.

Before 1996, festivities in Ireland paled in comparison with those abroad but now the event is used to showcase the country, city, its talents and achievements to a worldwide audience.

The creative energy, ideas and enthusiasm bursting from its artists have made the national holiday into an unforgettable experience for all, ranking the festival and parade among some of the greatest celebrated in the world.

This year, more than 400 street performers, 3,000 parade participants, 50,000 visitors, and in excess of half a million Dubliners are coming together to paint the town green and make their mark in the festival’s success.