Dublin's annual St Patrick's Day festival which was put on hold earlier in the year because of foot-and-mouth, disease, finally starts tonight.
The festival highlights will include what are being billed as a spectacular fireworks show tomorrow night and a two-hour parade on Sunday afternoon.
Traffic restrictions will be in place, and those attending are asked to observe disinfection procedures at access points to all events.
The festival's chief executive, Ms Maria Moynihan, said the programme had been compressed into three days because of the absence of a bank holiday weekend.
"It is going to be a uniquely Irish festival and parade for the first time ever, and I think that is something we should all experience," she said.
This is because international acts who had planned to travel to the original parade can no longer do so, but in their place are bands from all over the State including Arklow, Clonmel, Monaghan, Mullingar and Enniscorthy, who could not have been present on St Patrick's Day as they would have had to perform in their home towns.
Tonight the action begins at 9.30 p.m. with a street spectacle at the Liffey quays from O'Connell Bridge to Capel Street Bridge. There will be a torchlight procession of thousands of transition-year students from all over Dublin.
Tomorrow there will a carnival-like atmosphere in the Dame Street, College Green and Westmoreland Street areas from noon to 6 p.m., where observers can watch, among other things, bungee rope acrobatics. Music will be provided by Bellefire, No Angels, Relish, Naimee Coleman and John Spillane.
Later tomorrow, before a fireworks display from Custom House Quay to the Point Theatre at 10 p.m., there will be a carnival of Brazilian music and dance from Sean McDermott Street to Amiens Street to Matt Talbot Bridge from 8 p.m. to 9.30 p.m.
On Sunday the main event will be the rescheduled St Patrick's Day parade, which will begin at St Patrick's Cathedral at 2 p.m. It will move through Patrick Street, Nicholas Street, Christchurch Place, Lord Edward Street, Dame Street, College Green, Westmoreland Street and O'Connell Street. Both the parade and fireworks will be televised by RTE.
Traffic restrictions include the closure of Aston and Wellington Quays tonight from 9.45 p.m. to 10.45 p.m.; the closure of Andrew Street, College Green, Dame Lane, Dame Street to George's Street, Suffolk Street, Trinity Street and Westmoreland Street from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. tomorrow; the closure of Aston Quay, Burgh Quay, Butt Bridge, D'Olier Street, O'Connell Bridge, Tara Street, Talbot Bridge, Westmoreland Street and Parliament Street from 8 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. tomorrow night for the fireworks display; and the closure of Patrick Street, Nicholas Street, Christchurch Place, Lord Edward Street, Dame Street, College Green, Westmoreland Street and O'Connell Street on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the parade.
A delayed St Patrick's Day parade will also take place in Gort, Co Galway, beginning at 12.30 p.m. on Sunday.