Children waved the Irish tricolour while visitors watched the long and energetic parade make its way through the streets of Dublin as Ireland celebrated its patron saint on Monday. Children, adults and visitors from across the world packed the city centre to see the headline parade and to celebrate the festivities of St Patrick’s Day.

Dublin is rapidly turning green as thousands of people stream onto the streets ahead of Monday's St Patrick's Day parade. More than half a million people are expected to be on the city's streets when the national parade begins in the Irish capital at midday.

HALF A million revellers packed the streets of Dublin as the whole world turned green yesterday. On the day of our nation’s saint, the entire planet did their best to celebrate the Emerald Isle.