A round-up of some of yesterday's parades.
Sligo: There was no grand marshal, but two elephants and a giant ostrich from the visiting Circus Ozzz led a colourful parade through Sligo yesterday, as a record crowd of more than 10,000 people lined the streets for the spectacle.
It was a colder yet more carnival-like St Patrick's Day than usual in Sligo, with over 20 bands from north and south of the Border taking part, along with an array of stiltwalkers, clowns, giant dragons and commercial floats. A Roma mother and child were selling shamrock on O'Connell Street while children from several countries showed off their Irish dancing to the delight of the spectators.
Former mayor of Sligo Tommie Higgins, who at 82 years still heads the parade committee, was delighted with the numbers taking part this year.
Marese McDonagh
Waterford: The heroes and heroines that braved the biting cold experienced at the St Patrick's Day parade in Waterford yesterday conjured up a magical experience in the oldest city in Ireland.
Magician Keith Barry, grand marshal of the parade this year, looked happy to be on home ground, arriving in style with girlfriend and fellow Waterfordian Mairéad Foley in a vintage car.
Members of the reserve forces were followed by the crew of the naval vessel LE Aoife, docked in Waterford, and paved the way for the Slua Muire, Civil Defence and the Organisation of National Ex-Servicemen and women of Ireland.
Ciarán Murphy
Donegal: The changing nature of Irish society was vividly illustrated at the St Patrick's Day parade in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, which attracted a record number of participants.
In times past, there would have been a noticeable agricultural theme, but yesterday's parade was more reflective of the growing urbanisation of a modern, multicultural Ireland with a booming economy.
The influx of immigrants to towns such as Letterkenny was also reflected by the number of non-nationals taking part in a number of floats and also the presence of the Kegite Club from Africa, whose slogan read, "We have arrived."
There was also a strong musical flavour to the proceedings, with a number of local bands from Letterkenny and areas like Convoy, Fanad and Arranmore Island (the nearest thing to an overseas band). On a bitterly cold day, you could not but sympathise with some of the younger band members who marched with chattering teeth and goose-pimpled, chalk-white bare legs.
Chris Ashmore
Midlands: The people of Longford got a taste of what the future will look like when the Prison Service band took part in the parade. The Prison Service is earmarked for decentralisation to the town and yesterday's performance by the band was a goodwill gesture towards the residents of their future home.
Brian Purcell, head of the Prison Service, was among the guests at the parade, which also featured a strong environmental theme in the floats.
"We are delighted to have the Prison Service members here and we look forward to when the service is located here in Longford and playing an active part in local life," said Karen Clabby, president of Longford Chamber of Commerce.
One of the biggest parades in the midlands took place in Clara, Co Offaly, where the event was revived after an absence of seven years.
The band of the Western Command, Athlone, entertained the huge crowds, and six marching bands also received warm rounds of applause.
In nearby Moate, Co Westmeath, a local sporting legend was the grand marshal. Fr Michael Cremin led Carmelite College to unprecedented Gaelic football success in the 1970s and 1980s, including All-Ireland college glory.
Athlone's parade featured a theatrical display by a local group protesting at the recent lay-off of seven staff members from the town's Dean Crowe Theatre.
The Dean Crowe Action Committee's display was based on the mythological tale of the phoenix rising from its own ashes. In Tullamore, a troupe of scantily clad belly dancers braved the piercing cold and received one of the biggest cheers of the day.
Liam Horan
Kilkenny: Kilkenny almost didn't have a parade as commercial sponsors and the local authorities scaled back their support.
"Perhaps they feel that the city is festivaled out," said Tom Duffy, a musician who organised the event "at short notice" with the help of a committee of volunteers. About 12,000 people turned out in bitterly cold weather for "Carnival Kilkenny". Jugglers and stilt- walkers led by the Mad Hatters from Drogheda provided street entertainment before the parade, which began with a brass band and ended with a giant inflatable pig.
Kilkenny's very own Brazilian Samba band, Visto Pena, also took part.
Michael Parsons