A display of national 'effervescence' or an occasion that leads to 'destructive drinking'? - on the streets of Dublin there were mixed opinions on Ireland's national festival.
Visitor Carl Hughes, from Marion, Ohio saw the parade as a worthwhile celebration of Irishness: "Everyone here is friendly, I love it. It's a wonderful display of national effervescence, and of course the Guinness is always better over here."
But Celbridge-resident Zanatua Diyaya didn't agree. Enjoying his first Dublin parade with his young family, he described the atmosphere as "very friendly", but indicated that St Patrick's Day also had its downside.
"A lot of people just drink too much, and that can be destructive," he stated, but added that "the parade is a great day out for a family."
His sentiments were echoed by Ger Lynagh, from Ballinasloe, who said that the national holiday made her feel "enormously proud to be Irish, despite my having to sidestep the remains of last night's party on the streets!"
Others could only speak highly of the day, and in particular the two-hour parade held on the streets of the capital.
"It's a great day, and well worth the money spent on it. All involved should be congratulated, especially those behind the Skyfest display," Joe Ryan from Kilbarrack said.
"It's getting bigger and bigger, and is a far cry from the parades when I was growing up," he added.
First-time visitors to the parade were similarly impressed. Joe Valasquez, from Charlotte, North Carolina, and his companion Cathy Contice enjoyed prime seats in the viewing gallery on Dublin's Westmoreland Street.
"It's wonderful, we came here specifically for the parade and it's great to watch. We don't have any Irish connections but we've sampled a few Guinness back home and that makes us Irish enough for St Patrick's Day," he said.
But Parisian resident Eimear Martin, who describes herself as "proudly French-Irish" was not so sure.
"My sense of Irishness often diminishes when people stage 'official' celebrations," she stated, indicating that "spontaneous celebration" was what the Irish were renowned for.
Cork's Jeneen Naji agreed: "The day itself doesn't particularly make me feel any more Irish than I already am."
But in general the feeling on the streets was a good one, as the Parade passed.
"St Patrick has blessed today with good weather," Patrice Nyoe, from Manilla in the Philippines, joked. "It's a good day for Ireland!" her husband Gerbert Nyoe said.
And as the Festival weekend draws to a close, the last word on the St Patrick's Day should go to Walker Allan, visiting from New Brunswick, Canada, who simply stated "to be Irish is to have fun!"
Today, quite a few people around the world may well agree.