Dublin is set to host half a million people on its streets for the National St Patrick’s Day Parade.
Over four thousand street performers, showpieces and marching bands hailing from Ireland and across the world will take part in the festivities.
Over 1 thousand Gardai will be on duty for the parade in Dublin this afternoon.
This year’s national parade celebrates Irish culture and heritage through the theme ‘Eachtraí’ – the Irish word for adventures.
Organisers expect upwards of 500,000 spectators to attend the event in the city centre. Tickets, priced at €250, were also on sale for seats on the ‘grandstands’ on O’Connell Street.
More than 4,000 participants are set to begin the parade on Granby Row, near Parnell Square, on the northside of the city centre at 12pm, midday. This year’s parade will be led by actress Victoria Smurfit.
Extra trains will be operating between Dublin city centre, Maynooth and Dundalk this weekend, including some late-night services. Irish Rail services will be operating extra Dart and Commuter services before and after the parade.
Between 4pm and midnight, tonight, Tara Street station in the city centre will be closed. Six late-night trains will be running after midnight:
On Dublin Bus, enhanced services will be operating for daytime and 24-hour routes around the capital today. Nitelink services will be operating tonight as well.
All public transport passengers are asked to check timetables before leaving for the city centre and are warned that a number of diversions will be in place across both networks today.
