A ceremonial lighting of candles from coast to coast will be among the highlights of the Year 2000 celebrations tonight as Ireland joins the world in witnessing a new millennium.
Internationally, fears over the Y2K bug and terrorist attacks are threatening to overshadow the party, which begins at 10 a.m. Irish time in the South Pacific, but they won't stop revellers turning out in their millions to mark the event in flamboyant fashion.
At home, as the sun sets, candles will be lit in homes across the State in a televised ceremony led by the President, Mrs McAleese. In Dublin's Merrion Square, up to 30,000 people are expected at a 12-hour free concert. An alcohol ban imposed for safety reasons is not expected to dampen the celebratory mood.
Fireworks will feature in towns and cities throughout the State and the clear, cold weather that is forecast should prove perfect for pyrotechnics.
Commuters in the capital, however, face an uncertain night, with hundreds of Dublin taxi-drivers threatening to stay at home despite the granting of a last-minute £5 per journey millennium bonus.
In Dublin, the night's biggest indoor event - Millennium Mania at the RDS - was cancelled after no more than half the tickets were sold.
However the Irish celebrations go, they can only go better than those in Britain, where a ticket blunder has taken the shine off the opening of the £758 million Millennium Dome by Queen Elizabeth. One-fifth of the 10,500-strong audience due to attend will have to queue for tickets before the event as they were not sent out on time.
Around the world, many events were cancelled due to poor sales of tickets or security fears. Seattle has cancelled its main millennium party after a terrorism scare while other cities have increased security measures. In New York, city officials have sealed all manholes and mailboxes around Times Square, hub of the festivities.
Cape Town has remained determined to stage a big millennium bash amid high security after police seized bomb-making equipment and arrested the leader of a Muslim vigilante group.
The business world is also holding its breath as the millennium bug threatens to deliver on the hype.
Russia, seen by Western countries as especially vulnerable, said everything from the Mir space station to the country's railway network would be fine.
However, that hasn't stopped people in Finland from stocking up with iodine in fear of Y2K-triggered nuclear accidents at nearby Russian power plants. Iodine protects against the effects of nuclear radiation.
Here, it seems small organisations which have not taken precautions will bear the brunt of Y2K problems. A recent survey found that 40 per cent of small firms had no contingency plans.
A feud between South Pacific islands over which is the first to experience the millennium has also cast a shadow over the proceedings. 2000 Today, the global television production being shown by 60 broadcasters including RTE, has opted for Caroline Island, now renamed Millennium Island, much to the annoyance of Tonga and Fiji.
In contrast, Samoa is laying claim to be the last place to welcome in the new year, 25 hours later than its neighbours.