Today marks the second St Patrick's Day in a row that parades in towns and cities nationwide have been cancelled.
Proceedings have gone virtual, with a programme of music, entertainment and other events being showcased online as part of the St Patrick's Day Festival.
It is no mean feat trying to keep kids entertained at home, but mother-of-seven Jen Hogan has a few ideas on keeping children busy today.
She outlined to Newstalk Breakfast some of the things which families can do this year in lieu of attending parades.
"One thing that we'll definitely be doing during the day is tuning into Starcamp," she said.
"I think most parents across Ireland know what Starcamp is, it's a performance camp, in pre-COVID times they were always in-person camps and now they have moved online.
Performers at the St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin in 2019. Credit: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie"For St Patrick's Day they're doing one that includes an exclusive interview with the Taoiseach, and the Taoiseach has something to announce that is going to excite parents and children.
"I've been let into the secret, I'm not allowed to say what it is yet but it is worth tuning in for."
The St Patrick's Day camp is free to access from the Starcamp website and has "something for everyone there", Jen added.
This includes art with Don Conroy, magic tricks, St Patrick's Day bake-offs and music and dancing.
The camp's activities are available to access at any time throughout the day.
To kick off the St. Patricks Day festivities I'll be drawing...you guessed it, Leprechauns! Come join me on YouTube for the full video. 🍀🍀🍀 https://t.co/wuHqDOp3W5 #leprechaun #stpatricksday #irish #ireland #green #luckoftheirish #shamrock #stpaddysday pic.twitter.com/XxhKo9zYn9
— Don Conroy (@donconroy) March 15, 2021
Jen also outlined some events that are being held as part of the St Patrick's Day Festival which are suitable for older kids.
These include the Tumblecircus performance on St Patrick's Day Festival TV, or learning how to 'céilí in your cocoon' at home.
As for other entertainment options at home, Disney Plus is streaming Darby O'Gill and the Little People, a great film to watch for the day that's in it.
For families wanting to get outside, the Green Roots Project are encouraging people to "get green for St Patrick's Day" by planting a tree, picking up rubbish or even building a bug hotel.
"We will resort to what we have done a lot over the course of the pandemic and the lockdown, we'll be back to the old board games," Jen added.
"It gets everybody involved, it gets everybody talking, it gets everybody moving, everybody rowing, good aul family fun," she said.
