Dublin - People around the world on Monday were celebrating St Patrick's Day with colourful parades to mark Ireland's national day and commemorate the saint who brought Christianity to the country. The biggest parade in Ireland was to take place in the capital Dublin with up to 3,000 marchers expected to take part and as many as half a million people lining the streets to watch it.
In Dublin up to 800 extra police were on the streets to crack down on street drinking, public order offences and drink-driving.
Parades would also be taking place in Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford, Belfast and Derry and in towns around the country.
Unusually for Patrick's Day forecasters said the weather would be generally dry.
Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern was due to present US President George W Bush with a bowl of shamrock during his annual visit to the White House Monday while most of the Irish cabinet were also abroad, attending parades from New York to Beijing.
According to legend, St Patrick was born in Wales in the 5th century AD and at the age of 16 was abducted by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland, where he lived in captivity until he managed to escape.
Patrick went home and studied for the priesthood before returning to Ireland as a missionary to spread Christianity. March 17 is thought to be the anniversary of his death in around 460 AD. By the eighth century he had become the patron saint of Ireland.
