Despite the gloomy weather forecasts, St Patrick's celebrations continue in Dublin under bright skies after last night's `glimmering' parade.
Street theatre and face painters have taken over Dublin city centre today. The celebrations follow after last night's "AIB Glimmering" event which saw four separate parades converging on the River Liffey to witness the burning of a "mass of fireboats".
Neither rain nor any fall out from the Ludwig report prevented over 2,500 students from 50 schools from enjoying the spectacle.
For punters heading into the city today - BEWARE - the Big Day Outwill see traffic restrictions galore.
Merrion Square West, East and South; Mount Street Upper; and Merrion Street Upper as far as the junction with Fitzwilliam Lane will be closed to traffic until 7 p.m. Fitzwilliam Street Lower will be closed from 2 a.m. to 11 p.m.
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Day trippers should note the
Big Day Out
music event, usually held at College Green, has moved to Merrion Square to accommodate bigger crowds.
This evening's Skyfestfireworks will see traffic diverted away from the city centre as much as possible. Motorists seeking to cross the city have been advised to use the East Link Bridge or Church Street, Bridge Street and the Coombe on the west side.
The firework display has been designed by Groupe F, the team behind the millennium celebrations at the Eiffel Tower.
Met Éireann has predicted outbreaks of rain, at times heavy and persistent, across the country to be followed by bright or sunny spells. But occasional showers in the afternoon are expected be heavy and thundery.
Perhaps in an attempt to offset any threat from the weather, the official theme of this weekend's St Patrick's Festival is Dream.
And Galway for one will not be deprived of its fun after the cancellation of the 2001 celebrations due to foot-and-mouth.
Tonight the city will witness the Flame of St Patrickevent which kicks off at 7 p.m. Bands flanked by flaming torches will march through the city from Spanish Arch along Shop St and ending in Town Hall Theatre.
Actually, the capers began five days ago, when the "St Patrick" stepped off a small skiff in the Claddagh - piloted by fisherman Nicky Dolan - to be greeted by students from Gaelscoil Dara.
Elsewhere preparations are in full swing for tomorrow's St Patrick's Day parade with bands, tourists, revellers, and performers converging anywhere with a cluster of houses or more across the country.
The National Safety Council (NSC) has called on motorists to take extra care on the roads over the holiday weekend. Drink driving, speeding and not wearing seatbelts remained the main causes of road deaths, the NSC warned yesterday.