Thousands of hardy spectators braved appalling weather conditions to view the parade in Waterford.
"At least the weather can't get any worse," declared one optimist as crowds began lining the quays in anticipation of the event. He was wrong. By the time the last float had made its way down the Mall, a biting wind had arrived to accompany the incessant rain.
The event itself, however, was no damp squib. While one or two commercial outfits clung to the notion that a big lorry with your name on it is an acceptable contribution to a St Patrick's Day parade, there was lots of colour, pageantry and music to compensate.
Mr Paul Waymark, originally from England and now living in Waterford, was impressed. "It was just the weather that dampened it but it was enjoyable." His children, Aisling and Patrick, watching their first St Patrick's Day parade, agreed. "I liked the castle and the bunny. Oh yeah, and I liked the monsters," said Aisling.
A range of community organisations from the city and beyond participated in the 40-minute parade, including bands, sports clubs, scouts' groups and arts organisations like Spraoi, the Waterford-based street theatre company.
Waterford Youth Drama provided a cast of ghoulish characters including a convincing grim reaper who eyeballed spectators and warned: "Death walks among you". He was preceded by two sandwich boards bearing the message "The End is Nigh".
Shortly afterwards, the end had indeed arrived and rarely can the streets of Waterford have been cleared so quickly. Yes, it was good, but mostly it was wet.
Elsewhere in the sunny south- east, the picture was similar, with only Kilkenny of the major urban centres getting some respite from the rain.
About 2,000 people turned out for the parade in Wexford, where the clouds opened just as the event began.
In Carlow, the parade had the theme of the Special Olympics, to mark the fact that the town will be a host venue for that event next year. A number of people from the town's non-national community took part in the parade, which attracted about 1,000.
Locals described the parade in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, as a "small affair", with the weather having a detrimental effect.
