Twenty-one people have been arrested at anti-lockdown protests in Dublin for failing to comply with public health guidelines, gardai said.

A massive Garda security operation was in place across St Patrick’s Day to prevent planned anti-lockdown demonstrations.

By Wednesday evening, a Garda spokeperson said 21 people had been arrested, including 17 men and four women across different events in Dublin.

Many of the arrested were in Dublin city centre where protesters arrived in small groups outside the GPO on O’Connell Street.

About 100 anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination protesters, the majority of whom were not wearing face masks, gathered in Herbert Park in Ballsbridge carrying banners and posters.

Campaigners also congregated outside national broadcaster RTE in Donnybrook in the south of the city chanting and carrying anti-vaccine posters. They were told by gardai that they were in breach of Covid-19 health regulations.

Many of the demonstrators voiced their disappointment at the turnout.

Several protest events were planned via social media, by disparate groups in different locations in Dublin city centre.

By late afternoon a number of protesters had gathered at certain sites across the city but the crowds were not as large as had been anticipated on social media.

More than 2,500 gardai were deployed at checkpoints and arterial routes across the country.

Much of the focus was on the capital amid fears that anti-lockdown activists would seek to use the public holiday to demonstrate against coronavirus restrictions.

There were ugly scenes close to Dublin’s St Stephen’s Green last month, when gardai were attacked with fireworks during disturbances at a lockdown protest.

Gardai are patrolling roads in the city and people are being asked for the reason for their journey to establish whether is it essential.

Personnel from the national Garda units such as the dog unit, the mounted unit, air support and public order, have been deployed.

Checks were also conducted on public transport over the course of St Patrick’s Day.

Gardai stopped people at bus stations and Luas stops to ensure they were not breaking Covid-19 regulations.

Deputy Garda Commissioner Anne Marie McMahon said: “This has not been a normal St Patrick’s Day.

“I acknowledge the huge level of compliance and social responsibility demonstrated today.

“I appeal to the public to continue this effort into this evening, please do not engage in house gatherings or parties or congregate in public spaces and amenities.”

On Wednesday, a further 17 deaths of people with coronavirus and another 557 confirmed cases of the virus were notified

As of 8am, there were 350 Covid positive patients in hospitals, of whom 83 are in ICU.

Meanwhile, as of March 14, 617,050 doses of coronavirus vaccine had been administered in Ireland.