Events to celebrate St Patrick happen on more than one day with street carnivals and music attracting thousands.
Festivities started this morning in Limerick, where the traditional International Marching Band Competition entertained thousands of spectators.
Streets in Dublin city centre were closed for carnival parades, street performances, concerts and all kinds of free entertainment.
More is to come this evening with Masquerade 2000 in Grafton Street and on the eve of St Patrick's Day the Galway-based group Macnas will team up with Els Comediants of Barcelona to enact their interpretation of Homer's epic poem The Odyssey.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 14 March 1999. The reporter is Aoife Kavanagh.
