Dublin threatened by Chris Evans on St Patrick's Day

There was a time when St Patrick's Day in Ireland simply meant a day off school for the kids, mass and an hour-long parade, usually in the rain.

These days, if the guest register at one luxury Dublin hotel, the Clarence, is any indicator, the feast day has taken on the trappings of a global celebrity event. The hotel is owned by the Irish band U2 and Sharon Stone, Chris Evans, Puff Daddy and Jennifer Lopez and the Corrs all reportedly attempted to book its penthouse for the celebrations, which are expected to last through the weekend.

With the "Celtic Tiger" economy still booming, Irish people don't appear to need much of an excuse to celebrate and the public purse is funding an extensive four-day programme of fireworks, rock concerts and street theatre. Although the traditional army of corpulent Irish Americans has arrived in the capital, their Leprechaun-emblazoned hats and sweat shirts are starkly out of synch with the image the festival organisers are trying to promote.

Deirdre Ni Raghallaigh of Dublin City Council said: "This is about celebrating a young, vibrant, modern country. Shamrocks and Paddywhackery have had their day."

Broadcasting his radio show from Dublin yesterday morning, Chris Evans told listeners that it was the most exciting city in Europe. His comments may raise the eyebrows of locals, but they're also likely to provide another boost for an already thriving tourist industry.

St Patrick's celebrations will culminate in a civic ceremony tomorrow evening where the Freedom of the City will be presented to all four members of U2 and, in absentia, to the Burmese dissident leader Aung San Suu Kyi.