Ireland To Celebrate Patron Saint

This year's Saint Patrick's Festival is expected to involve the participation of a million people - with events over the six days and nights in celebration of the patron saint.

On Friday evening (12th March) the festival opens with a programme of film, comedy and visual arts for all, in various venues around Dublin City.

Visitors include 50,000 from overseas, making it the ideal showcase for modern Ireland.

The Festival each year is the best contemporary celebration of Irish music, heritage, culture and community and encompasses a feeling of what it means to be or just feel Irish.

On Wednesday 17th March a raucous 3km long street celebration takes place as thousands are anticipated to be cheering on the city streets and many millions more tuning in to the RTE 1 broadcast on TV and live streaming on-line.

The Parade pageants are all joined on the day by marching bands from Ireland, the USA, Germany and Austria.

Pageant companies coming from the four corners of the country; LUXe in Donegal, Spraoi in Waterford, Buí Bolg in Wexford and City Fusion in Dublin to name but a few, have been designing, building and choreographing their pieces in the last months in preparation for the big day on Wednesday 17th March.

The Festival finale on St. Patrick's Night is a performance by the cream of contemporary traditional music in Ireland.

Speaking at the 2010 St. Patrick's Festival launch, Martin Cullen, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism said: "St Patrick’s Festival 2010 is a spectacle of fun and entertainment culminating with the traditional St Patrick's Day parade through our great capital city.

"This important national celebration is good for Ireland and particularly good for our tourism industry.

"The positive media coverage of the Festival is seen in our key international tourism markets at a time of the year when many people are planning annual holidays. One again this year, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland are planning to bring a significant number of overseas media to Ireland for the event."

(BMcC/GK)