54,000 air visitors for festival weekend

AS momentum builds for the "wearing of the green" on Sunday, Aer Rianta said it expects almost 54,000 passengers to fly into Ireland for the festival weekend.

Dublin Airport will handle 44,000 passengers, an increase of 23 per cent on last year, while Shannon Airport expects traffic to increase by 26 per cent and Cork Airport, with some 4,000 passengers, by 14 per cent.

Ten Cabinet members and ministers of state will be raising the flag across the world. The US appears to have most favoured nation status, with no fewer than five ministers scheduled for appearances at parades there.

The Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, will be in Washington, while the Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, will be at the New York parade. Cleveland, Ohio, is the parade location for the Minister for Equality and Law Reform, Mr Taylor, and the Minister of State for the Marine, Mr Eamon Gilmore, will represent the Government in Chicago.

The Minister of State for Sport, Mr Bernard Allen, will again be a guest of the Olympic Council of Ireland at its banquet in Atlanta, Georgia, and will also be Grand Marshal of the parade there.

The Minister for the Environment, Mr Howlin, will be in Toronto, Canada, for an official visit, while the Tanaiste, Mr Spring, will be in London today and tomorrow to attend Irish community events.

The Minister of State for Transport, Energy and Communications, Mr Emmet Stagg, is heading east to Moscow at the invitation of Aer Rianta and the Minister for Defence, Mr Barrett, will be visiting the Defence Forces in the Lebanon. The Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, Mr Higgins, will at tend the inaugural event of L'Imaginaire Irlandais in France.

Back home, Iarnrod Eireann expects to carry 100,000 passengers on Intercity trains, including GAA fans travelling to the All Ireland Club Championship finals in Croke Park. The DART will run extra trains on Sunday for people attending the Dublin parade.

Its traditional marching route was still a point of argument yesterday, as members of Broadstone South Basin residents' organisation expressed their objections to the change of route, which by passes much of the old northside route.

"Traditionally the parade has dispersed on Constitution Hill and Western Way," they said in a letter to the Minister for Tourism, Mr Kenny. "It has become a popular place for northsiders to bring their families, and Broadstone has always had its own street festivals and events. Yet again, the northsiders are denied any power in the decision making process in one of the most popular events in Dublin's cultural life."

Dublin Tourism no longer has responsibility for the parade, but the St Patrick's Day festival director, Mr Rupert Murray, said that nothing is cast in stone". He added that this year they wanted the parade to start at St Patrick's Cathedral, given the day that is in it, and it would be too far to parade if they finished in the traditional spot.