Galway: Moving forests, musicians, majorettes and anti-war campaigners will join forces to celebrate the national day in Galway city, while Samba is promised for the parade in Castlebar, Co Mayo.
"Galway - the Irish language capital" is the theme this year and the city council is also marking a century of St Patrick's Day parades. The Galway Environmental Alliance will be appealing to the burghers to spare the trees marked for an axe as part of the redesign of Eyre Square; their "forest" float hopes to make this point as it passes the mayor's viewing stand.
Local school bands are expected to participate, along with the usual quota of commercial displays.
The Galway parade starts at 12.30p.m., and will be preceded by an art workshop for children in Arus na nGael, Dominick Street, at 3 p.m. on Sunday on the theme of the national day.
The art workshop is part of a series of events which have been taking place this week as part of Seachtain na Gaeilge.
Parades will also take place in many towns throughout the county, while Loughrea is hosting a "Festival of Light" on Sunday night.
Anti-war protesters will be holding a candle-lit vigil as a separate event, and stress that they do not wish to take the limelight from the "Festival of Light" but to highlight the desire of the Irish people not to be involved in supporting a military campaign on the people of Iraq.
The Bishop of Clonfert, Dr John Kirby, who is head of Trócaire, has expressed support for the peace vigil, which will take place outside SuperValu in Loughrea at 8 p.m. on Sunday.
He said he believed it was important the public should be aware of the moral dilemma of war, and the issue was one that could not be forgotten during national day celebrations - especially when a military campaign was so close.
In Mayo, the Samboeire Samba Band from Co Leitrim will take part in the parade in Castlebar, which starts at 3 p.m. on Monday at the industrial estate, beside McHale Park.
Also listed to participate is the Murphy's Ark mobile farm from Ballina, the Castlebar Concert Band, and a colour party from the FCA and the 18th Infantry Battalion.
The chief marshall for the parade is "boxing personality" Mr Sean Horkan.
