Festival fun bound to chase the gloom away
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PARADES at home and abroad have suffered budget cuts but there is still plenty to celebrate as the St Patrick's Day festivities begin in earnest.
Thousands of revellers have already taken to the streets in Ireland to sample the buoyant atmosphere and escape the financial doom and gloom.
Across the world, cities were swamped in a flurry of green, white and orange as the first parades were held.
The celebrations are not immune to recessionary times, however, and some budgets have been slashed by as much as 30pc.
The Dublin festival had funding reduced by 8pc, London's parade was cut by almost a third, and organisers at Birmingham's festival estimate that sponsorship is down 30pc.
Sydney also reported difficulties in fundraising.
But the world's largest parade in New York escaped relatively unscathed, with organisers reporting fundraising at normal levels.
A spokesman said they had campaigned harder than usual to get the sponsorship required.
Around one million people are expected to take part in the celebrations in Ireland over the entire festival, with events ranging from street performances and ceilis to fireworks displays and pig races.
Over the weekend the capital's celebrations centred on a funfair at Merrion Square where families enjoyed live music performances and a carnival atmosphere.
In Limerick around 30,000 people thronged the streets for an international band parade, where Sammy Benson's Brass and Reed marching band were awarded the top prize.
Races
Up to 2,000 people turned out in Durrow, Co Laois, for a non-motorised parade followed by pig racing -- onlookers were invited to have a punt on six races.
Other events were also held over the weekend, including the McDonalds Little Athletics, where former world champion Eamon Coghlan was on hand to give some helpful tips.
Elsewhere towns and cities are gearing up for tomorrow's celebrations.
In Cork, the cosmic-themed festivities are expected to attract up to 50,000 spectators.
Organisers have teamed up with Blackrock Castle Observatory to celebrate the UN International Year of Astronomy.
US NASA astronaut Dan Tani, who has twice been to the International Space Station, will be Grand Marshall at tomorrow's parade.
An exhibition at City Hall, 'Capture the Cosmos', is just one of the events taking place to celebrate St Patrick's Day.
The country's earliest annual parade, the pre-dawn march by the 120-year-old Dingle Fife and Drum Band in Kerry, will have a new look with all members donning the red and green colours of Dingle.
The band's tradition of marching before dawn was originally a protest at British rule which imposed a curfew on public gatherings.
Meanwhile, in Tralee, this year's parade will have a German flavour, thanks to a 'cultural partnership' between Tralee and the town 'within a town' of Frankfurt-Hochst.
Some cities have already held parades to accommodate the working public.
Around 10,000 people turned out to take part in London's festivities, which included an open-air concert in Trafalgar Square where comedian Andrew Maxwell made a special appearance.
The parade was led by London Mayor Boris Johnson and Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan.
It included floats and marching bands from Irish county associations and GAA clubs from across Britain as well as the crew of the Irish naval vessel LE 'Roisin', which is visiting the city for the festival.
Parades also took place in Chicago, where the river was dyed green, and Tokyo.
US troops in Iraq celebrated St Patrick's Day at the international zone in Baghdad.
- Stephen O'Farrell, Eimear Ni Bhraonain, Anne Lucey and Louise Roseingrave
