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| Tall Ships sail away from Belfast | Tall Ships sail away from Belfast |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| The four-day Belfast Maritime Festival has come to an end with a Parade of Sail. | |
| At noon on Sunday a flotilla of the forty ships that had been berthed along quays in the city set sail out of Belfast Lough. | At noon on Sunday a flotilla of the forty ships that had been berthed along quays in the city set sail out of Belfast Lough. |
| Once again huge crowds swarmed to the quays to see the vessels. Thousands lined the shore to wave goodbye as the ships sounded their horns. | Once again huge crowds swarmed to the quays to see the vessels. Thousands lined the shore to wave goodbye as the ships sounded their horns. |
| Organisers said 500,000 people visited the Tall Ships from Thursday to Sunday. | |
| "The visitor figures truly are beyond our wildest expectations," said Mayor of Belfast Naomi Long. | |
| "The Tall Ships truly have put Belfast firmly on the map as a city more than capable of organising and hosting world class events, and I would like to congratulate everyone involved in this hugely successful and memorable weekend," | |
| 'Phenomenal' | |
| There was traffic congestion on roads either side of Belfast Lough as people tried to get the best vantage point. | There was traffic congestion on roads either side of Belfast Lough as people tried to get the best vantage point. |
| Belfast city council estimated that 250,000 people lined the Antrim and Down coasts of the Lough. | |
| Fireworks ended each day of the Maritime Festival. | Fireworks ended each day of the Maritime Festival. |
| The M5 motorway was closed for a time. Traffic in Holywood, Helen's Bay and the Loughshore at Jordanstown was also brought to a standstill. | The M5 motorway was closed for a time. Traffic in Holywood, Helen's Bay and the Loughshore at Jordanstown was also brought to a standstill. |
| Nicky Devlin from Belfast City Council said the event had been "phenomenal". | Nicky Devlin from Belfast City Council said the event had been "phenomenal". |
| "We have had people from all over the world on our quaysides," she said. | "We have had people from all over the world on our quaysides," she said. |
| "On Saturday we had 70,000 people over our event site at one time." | "On Saturday we had 70,000 people over our event site at one time." |
| For one trainee on the Europa it was time to say goodbye to the boat that had been her home for three weeks. | For one trainee on the Europa it was time to say goodbye to the boat that had been her home for three weeks. |
| "I don't want the boat to go, I want to hide away in a dry store so I can go with it," said Roisin McAnallen. | "I don't want the boat to go, I want to hide away in a dry store so I can go with it," said Roisin McAnallen. |
| "It's sad to see all the crew for the last time, but most of the Belfast trainees are standing on the dock to wave goodbye. | "It's sad to see all the crew for the last time, but most of the Belfast trainees are standing on the dock to wave goodbye. |
| "It was an amazing experience, a trip of a lifetime." | "It was an amazing experience, a trip of a lifetime." |
| The event cost £2.5m to stage, with Belfast City Council contributing £1.1m. | |
| It is estimated that the festival generated £10m for the local economy. |