People gathered in cities, towns and villages nationwide and across the globe to celebrate St Patrick's Day.
Across the country, crowds gathered to enjoy parades, music and dancing to mark a national day of celebration in which Ireland takes the spotlight on the international stage.
Children, adults and visitors packed into Dublin city centre to see the national parade and to celebrate the festivities of St Patrick's Day.
Spectators gathered from early morning adorned in all shades of green, many with shamrocks and the Irish tricolour painted on their faces, while others wore leprechaun hats and Irish jerseys.
The theme of this year's event was adventures, or " eachtraí" as Gaeilge.
The Dublin parade included around 4,000 parade participants from across the globe, 12 marching bands from across Ireland, North America and Austria - as well as dozens of extravagant floats.
It also featured members of An Garda Síochána, a float from Dublin Zoo, the Irish Coast Guard, baton twirlers and the Artane Band.
Other groups featured in the event included Bui Bolg, Spraoi, Inishowen Carnival Group, The Outing Queer Arts Collective, Artastic, Art FX, the Cork Puppetry Company and Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre.
The holiday commemorates the patron saint of Ireland and has become popular around the world.
The weather stayed dry as revellers celebrated St Patrick.
Minnu Sebastian, from India, has been living in Ireland for three years and it was her third time to attend the parade.
"Every year I make sure that I am off on St Patrick's Day and come to the city centre and see the beautiful parade and the different groups taking part in the parade," said the 30-year-old.
Claire, who is visiting Dublin with her friends from Chicago, said they "love St Patrick's Day", adding "I love the Irish people. They are so fun".
Actress and Dubliner Victoria Smurfit was this year's Grand Marshal and described the role an "incredible honour".
"Celebrating St Patrick's Day, for me, is an opportunity to eat all the good things, laugh at all the daft things. It's about entertainment. It's about freedom of your spirit," she told the PA news agency.
"It's just an incredible honour to spend this particular day in the centre of Dublin, in the centre of the parade and be able to see all the kids and all the people and to be part of that," she added.
Thousands of people lined the streets of Belfast for the city's St Patrick's Day parade - one of several held across Northern Ireland.
Those gathered watched a showcase of music, dancing and street theatre that involved local dance troupes, schools, community groups and musicians.
Belfast Lord Mayor Micky Murray led from the front as the parade left City Hall at 1.30pm.
"The parade just gets bigger and better every year," he said, adding "it's a real celebration of the community".
Mr Murray said it was an honour to lead the parade having always attending the event growing up.
It is estimated that close to 50,000 people lined the streets of Galway for the St Patrick's Day parade that was themed around the county's coastal surroundings and its maritime heritage.
Musician Sharon Shannon was Grand Marshal and led proceedings on an open top bus, before joining local dignitaries at the reviewing stand.
Canadian actor Eugene Levy, best known for his roles in the television series Schitt's Creek and the American Pie films, was given the hastily devised title of 'International Guest of Honour’ after he joined in the celebrations with his wife.
He was filming part of an Apple TV travel show and the event will feature in a segment on Galway when it airs later this year.
In Co Cork, children from the Kabin Studio were this year's Grand Marshals for the parade.
Their collaborative rap song The Spark was last summer's unexpected international music hit and more recently, the RTÉ Choice Music Awards 'Song of the Year'.
They were joined by 57 other groups, made up of over 3,000 participants along the traditional route.
Across the water in the US, the New York St Patrick's Day parade - the oldest and biggest in the world - was led off by the US Army’s most Irish regiment: 'The Fighting 69th'.
To mark St Patrick's Day, the fountain on the north lawn of the White House was dyed green.
Additional reporting Evelyn O'Rourke
