The Republic's soccer manager, Mick McCarthy, will be the grand marshal at this year's St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin, it was announced last night.
The parade will be the focal point of a four-day €2.5 million festival in the city. It reverts to its usual March slot this year, having had to be put off until May last year because of the foot-and-mouth scare.
Among the highlights will be a spectacular "skyfest" presented by Groupe F, creators of the Eiffel Tower millennium spectacular, and a free concert where fans of pop music will be able to see Six, the winners of Popstars, perform. Other bands will include Picturehouse, Relish, The Walls and Skindive.
The programme was unveiled at a reception in Dublin Castle last night. Festival chief executive Ms Maria Moynihan said the event would be "bigger, better and brighter than ever before".
The festival runs from Friday March 15th to Monday, March 18th, and includes a number of new events including a treasure hunt where teams can compete using their knowledge of Dublin.
In addition there will be the usual Big Day Out, taking place this year at Merrion Square on Saturday, March 16th. It will include a funfair for children, and a host of street performers.
The parade on St Patrick's Day will include colourful and creative pageants with a dream theme. It will also include 16 marching bands, nine of which are travelling from the US, Norway, the Netherlands and Britain.
The full programme for the Dublin festival is available at www.stpatricksday.ie
Preparations are also in full swing for St Patrick's Day festivities in other cities. In Cork, where the St Patrick's Day parade is organised by Cork Junior Chamber of Commerce, it is hoped a number of US firemen involved in the rescue operation at Ground Zero will be grand marshals of the parade.
A number of activities, in addition to a parade, are planned for Galway. Its director of events is Mr Michael Diskin, who is also manager of the city's Town Hall Theatre. He said a spectacle called the Landing of St Patrick's Flame was planned for the evening of March 16th when a flame would land by boat close to the Spanish Arch.
In Limerick, applications have been invited by the corporation from those wishing to take part in its St Patrick's Day parade. A band festival is also planned for the city.