Over 100,000 people moved to the carnival rhythms of tango and flamenco, reggae and soul this weekend at the biggest ever Irish Festival of World Cultures in Dún Laoghaire.
With over 100 events, ranging from belly dancing classes to DJ workshops, and from children's puppet making to Siberian throat singing, the festival was a unique opportunity for people to experience and to celebrate different cultures and traditions
Firstly, this was all about the music, and some of the most popular musicians who took to the stage included Mexican guitarists Rodrigo y Gabriela, Senegalese rappers Positive Black Soul and the Brazilian bossa nova rhythms of Da Lata. Many will be coming back.
Mr Carlos Julio, a musician with the Sacha Runa, a pan-pipes group from Equador, heard about the festival two weeks ago while in Holland and was impressed by the vibrant atmosphere in Dún Laoghaire.
"I think we will be here again next year because it's getting bigger and bigger," he said.
As well as featuring foreign acts, the festival also gave people who make up the new multicultural Ireland an opportunity to celebrate and share their culture with others.
Martina Akindojutimi (17), from Clonea, has been singing with Irish rappers The Seas for a few months and was enjoying the festival.
"It's such a buzz," she said. "There's a really good atmosphere and I'm really enjoying myself."
Ms Linda Brady, a member of the Sawubona African drumming band which whipped up tribal energy in the People's Park on Saturday evening, also said she loved the vibrancy of the festival.
"I think what I like most is the whole multicultural aspect," she said.
"This festival shows us we have so much to learn from other cultures, and the drum is particularly appropriate here because it is a world instrument.
"We're having a wonderful time."
While there were events on in the vast majority of pubs and clubs in Dún Laoghaire, the hub of music activity was the main stage in Newtownsmith Green, where revellers relaxed on the grass, ate organic ice-cream or French pastries from the adjacent food stalls and listened to gospel, rumba or jazz.
The range of dance classes over the three days also ensured the dance enthusiast was not neglected either, with numerous dance workshops on offer, including belly dancing, classical Indian dance, hip-hop and flamenco.
Children were the centre of this year's celebration with the People's Park transformed into a hive of creativity for the under tens. Activities included face-painting, hair braids, and activity workshops.