Parades throughout the country ended late this afternoon and the street clean-up began after a colourful, but otherwise cold and miserable St Patrick's Day.
Faces in the crowd at the Dublin parade
Dublin and Galway kicked off the parades shortly after midday today with hundreds of thousands lining the route of the largest ceremony in the capital where there was an international flavour about the crowd.
Unlike last year's beautiful weather, the Americans, Russians, Poles, German and Italians represented today were met with cold and windy weather, but adorned in leprachaun hats and waving Irish flags, spectators and participants alike seemed unconcerned.
The parade was officially opened by Lord Mayor of Dublin Catherine Byrne and parade grand master Ronnie Drew of the Dubliners shortly after midday. It began on Parnell Square and is making its way to St Patrick's Cathedral where it finished at around 2.30pm.
Parade organisers estimated 700,000 people would line the streets to watch international and Irish marching bands join performers, dancers and street theatre companies. However, the crowd appeared more sparse than expected.
More than 1,000 gardaí were on duty as part of a major security operation in the capital. Building material on O'Connell Street was cleared away in an effort to avoid the rioting surrounding the Love Ulster parade last month.
A female 'St Patrick' in Dublin
Supt Kevin Donohoe of the Garda Press Office said: "We've probably never had the same level of demands as we'll see this weekend. The full control of the day will rest with a senior officer who'll be in our command centre in Pearse Street station."
This chief superintendent will have access to footage from CCTV cameras all over the city and will, via radio, direct Garda resources into any areas where it is needed, he added.
In Cork, the festival parade started on South Mall at 1pm and took in Grand Parade, Patrick's St and MacCurtain St. The organisers described it as a "scary, comical and outrageous" parade and a "riot of loud colours and flights of fancy".
Tomorrow and Sunday, Corkonians will enjoy the Carnival of Fools, with music and dance provided by troupes from around Europe. The City Library on Grand Parade will also host children's events over the weekend.
The parade in Limerick took a new route this year, beginning at Mathew Bridge, moving up O'Connell St and finishing at Barrington St. The Pery Squary Fair will run today and tomorrow.
In addition, the Limerick International Band Competition was bigger than ever this year, with more bands taking to the streets of the city as part of today's parade.
Parade watching in O'Connell St, Dublin
Eight bands from the US, Poland and Northern Ireland were due to perform between 2pm and 6pm today.
The City of the Tribes is providing colour and mayhem to beat the weather today, with duelling stilters, a giant size bull, a new Galway pipe band and visiting bands from around the world. The theme of today's parade is Queen Maebh and the Tain, with the emphasis on noise and colour.
Sixty groups are taking part in what the organisers promised would be one of Ireland's best parades.
The parade started at the Fire Station on Fr Griffin Road at 12.30pm and moved through Dominick Street, over O'Brien's Bridge, through Shop Street, down Eglinton Street, ending up at Woodquay.
It was led by the newly formed Galway City Pipe Band and the guest of honour is adventure runner and Galway native Richard Donovan.
Belfast also hosted a major St Patrick's Day parade. Events kicked-off at 12.45pm and the theme of the parade is 'Snake, Rattle and Roll'.
Belfast's Beat Initiative, made up of community groups from across the city, led the Carnival Parade and celebrity guests will later take to the stage at Custom House Square.
In Sligo, an estimated 10,000 people turned out for the parade, which included over 20 bands as well as giant dragons, clowns and stilt walkers. Animals from a visiting circus were also paraded through the town.
The town of Dromore West , Co Sligo held a parade for the first time in 50 years and Manorhamilton, Co Leitrim enjoyed a parade again after a break of two decades.
Samba dancers in Dublin
Clara, Co Offaly, also held a parade after a seven-year break.
In Longford, parade watchers were entertained by the Band of the Prison Service, while the Band of the Western Command performed at the large parade in Athlone, Co Westmeath.
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern met the US president George W Bush at the White House in Washington and presented him with the traditional gift of Shamrock.
Mr Ahern appealed to Mr Bush to "find a path" that would allow undocumented Irish people living in the US to legalise their status. The Taoiseach said Ireland and the US enjoyed "an extraordinary and very special relationship".