St. Patrick's Day Celebration in Dublin

An estimated 500,000 people are lining the St. Patrick's Day parade route in Dublin today. But this year's celebration is being dimmed by both economicrecession and rising violence.

By: Associated Press | WSAV News 3
Published: March 17, 2009

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An estimated 500,000 people are lining the St.
Patrick's Day parade route in Dublin today.
But this year's celebration is being dimmed by both economic
recession and rising violence.
On the economic front, unemployment has soared to more than 10
percent and the government is imposing severe tax increases and
budget cuts to offset its deficit.
During recent economic boom years, Ireland began attracting
immigrants, but now emigration is on the rise. And Dublin's mayor
warns that the city faces a growing threat of racist violence, as
many natives view the more than 100,000 Eastern Europeans, Asians
and Africans in the city with resentment.
Meanwhile, cardinals and bishops are emphasizing that the
island's 4 million Catholics must pray for an end to Irish
Republican Army dissident attacks that have claimed three lives
this month in the British territory of Northern Ireland. They are
also calling for an end to feuds among drug gangs in Dublin that
have left eight dead this year.