Ants and pigeons ready to celebrate

Dublin parade: Giant ants, skate boarding pigeons and more traditional marching bands will take over the capital on Monday for what will be the biggest St Patrick's Day parade seen in the city.

Pop star Samantha Mumba is Grand Marshal for the parade which is twice as big as last year.

Just under 2,000 individuals participated in 2002 compared with an expected 3,800 participants this year.

According to Mr Dominic Campbell, artistic director of the festival, the parade, which has Voyages and Visions as its theme, will be a "fusion of colour, music, dance and above all entertainment".

Parade director Ms Veronica Taylor said there would be a meeting of traditional elements and contemporary artistic influences in this year's parade.

There are 13 street theatre acts and 17 Irish and international bands.

Some of the more than 1,000 instruments being played include the bodhran and lambeg drums.

Trivia fans should note that the 1,124 participating bands will wear 11,702 brass buttons on their uniforms.

The Cycle of Life section of the parade will see 700 transition year students recreate the journey from birth to old age.

Babies will become heavy metal rockers, while old age pensioners will dance and jive their way along the parade route.

During The Great Pigeon Race, pigeons "from all walks of life" will be found skateboarding, hiking and roller-blading around the streets chased by Kilkenny cats and hawks.

The Emmet 2000 pageant will see 200 pikemen in period costumes designed by Robert Ballagh.

A young boy on horseback will represent Emmet who will be followed by inner city children dressed in the colours of the United Irishmen Movement.

The pageant will be followed by French military band, Le Bagad de Lann Bihoe.

Other participants include the Omagh Community Arts Initiative.

Organisers expect more than half a million people to watch the parade and advise spectators to arrive early to gain a good vantage point.

Traffic restrictions will be in place from 7 a.m. on the day. During the parade, traffic will be diverted away from the city-centre. Traffic crossing the river should use the East Link Bridge on the east of the city and Church Street Bridge on the west.