Patrick’s Day to kick-start millenium celebrations

By Etain McGuckian and Alan Weston

A ST PATRICK’S day fireworks display, the greatest ever seen in Europe, will turn the dark skies of Dublin into a dazzling delight that will mark the worldwide start to the Millennial celebrations.

This year St Patrick will put on his party hat and join Cuban Carnival Dancers as the new five-day festival explodes to life on Saturday, March 13 with The Big Bash-Street Party.

A mix of rich tradition of religion, literature and learning with a pinch of modern interpretation will shake up a multi-cultural cocktail of events. The theme of Saints and Scholars aims to reincarnate the Irish spirit.

St Patrick will lead a ceremony of 3,400 participants from 17 community-driven and professionally-directed pageants, including the Lord Mayor of Dublin in his horse-drawn coach. One million visitors are expected to throng the streets.

Festivities over the five days range from the Millennium Big Drum to Masquerade 2000, and that’s just for starters. The main course includes the traditional Marching Band Competition competing with the DCAB Road Race. In line with the St Patrick’s Festival Parade the day will finish with a Monster Ceilí in St Stephen’s Green.