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| St Patrick's Day: Thousands gather for events in NI | St Patrick's Day: Thousands gather for events in NI |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Belfast City Hall is a focal point of the St Patrick's Day Parade in the city | Belfast City Hall is a focal point of the St Patrick's Day Parade in the city |
| Thousands of people have been taking part in St Patrick's Day festivities in Northern Ireland. | Thousands of people have been taking part in St Patrick's Day festivities in Northern Ireland. |
| Among the big events taking place was the parade in Belfast city centre, staged by arts organisation Beat Carnival. | Among the big events taking place was the parade in Belfast city centre, staged by arts organisation Beat Carnival. |
| It used the spectacle to mark the 25th anniversary of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. | It used the spectacle to mark the 25th anniversary of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. |
| Celebrations kicked off in County Fermanagh on Thursday night with the inaugural St Patrick's Eve flotilla. | Celebrations kicked off in County Fermanagh on Thursday night with the inaugural St Patrick's Eve flotilla. |
| Colourful characters made their way up Slemish Mountain on Friday | Colourful characters made their way up Slemish Mountain on Friday |
| People of all backgrounds joined the parade in Newry, County Down | People of all backgrounds joined the parade in Newry, County Down |
| Hundreds lined the streets of Belfast for this year's parade | Hundreds lined the streets of Belfast for this year's parade |
| Friday's music-themed parade in Belfast started at 13:30 with hundreds gathered around City Hall to enjoy musicians and Irish dancers. | |
| David Boyd, director of Beat Carnival - who produced the Belfast parade - said 800 people from across the community were participating this year. | David Boyd, director of Beat Carnival - who produced the Belfast parade - said 800 people from across the community were participating this year. |
| "We decided to have a music theme, Belfast being a Unesco city of music," he said. | "We decided to have a music theme, Belfast being a Unesco city of music," he said. |
| The procession included ancient horns of Ireland, traditional folk, disco, punk and a dance rave. | The procession included ancient horns of Ireland, traditional folk, disco, punk and a dance rave. |
| Pipers joined the Belfast parade, which had a music theme this year | Pipers joined the Belfast parade, which had a music theme this year |
| The inaugural St Patrick's Eve flotilla on the River Erne, with Enniskillen Castle lit up in green in the background | |
| The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Sinn Féin's Tina Black, was among those enjoying the festvities | The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Sinn Féin's Tina Black, was among those enjoying the festvities |
| Celebrations started early in County Fermanagh with several dozen vessels lit up for the occasion on Thursday evening. | Celebrations started early in County Fermanagh with several dozen vessels lit up for the occasion on Thursday evening. |
| The boats sailed through Enniskillen, past the illuminated castle, and people gathered along the banks of the River Erne to watch them. | The boats sailed through Enniskillen, past the illuminated castle, and people gathered along the banks of the River Erne to watch them. |
| What's happening for St Patrick's Day near you? | What's happening for St Patrick's Day near you? |
| Londonderry's streets were packed on Friday, with thousands having come to the city centre to witness a lively parade and colourful performances. | |
| The theme around this year's festivities in Derry was Recycle and Renewal, with some of the participants costumes created from leftover T-shirts from last year's Waterside half marathon. | |
| The Prince and Princess of Wales visit the 1st Battalion Irish Guards at Mons Barracks in Aldershot, England | The Prince and Princess of Wales visit the 1st Battalion Irish Guards at Mons Barracks in Aldershot, England |
| Actor Patrick Duffy, who played Bobby Ewing in the hit 1980s TV series Dallas, attended the parade in Dublin | Actor Patrick Duffy, who played Bobby Ewing in the hit 1980s TV series Dallas, attended the parade in Dublin |
| Seamus O'Hara returned from a week in Los Angeles for the Oscars to take part in the parade in Newry | Seamus O'Hara returned from a week in Los Angeles for the Oscars to take part in the parade in Newry |
| Seamus O'Hara, star of Oscar-winning Northern Ireland film An Irish Goodbye, took part in the Newry parade with his GAA club. | |
| Originally from Glens of Antrim, he now lives in Killeavy in County Armagh. | Originally from Glens of Antrim, he now lives in Killeavy in County Armagh. |
| After last week's Oscar success he was hoping to sing happy birthday to his son who turned seven on Friday. | After last week's Oscar success he was hoping to sing happy birthday to his son who turned seven on Friday. |
| Throughout Friday morning people visited what is believed to be St Patrick's grave in Downpatrick, County Down. | Throughout Friday morning people visited what is believed to be St Patrick's grave in Downpatrick, County Down. |
| Among them were Sophie and Lucy, who said: "We're going to the parade later, our friend's mum is painting our faces and daddy is going to buy us treats." | Among them were Sophie and Lucy, who said: "We're going to the parade later, our friend's mum is painting our faces and daddy is going to buy us treats." |
| Sophie and Lucy were among the first visitors to what is believed to be St Patrick's grave this morning | Sophie and Lucy were among the first visitors to what is believed to be St Patrick's grave this morning |
| An early-morning service was held at St Patrick's first church in Saul, County Down, and some of those who attended went on to climb nearby Slieve Patrick. | An early-morning service was held at St Patrick's first church in Saul, County Down, and some of those who attended went on to climb nearby Slieve Patrick. |
| Stephen Moore and his son Phillip Moore travelled to the church in Saul from Banbridge in County Down. | Stephen Moore and his son Phillip Moore travelled to the church in Saul from Banbridge in County Down. |
| "We've come a few times because we enjoy the fellowship and to celebrate St Patrick," said Stephen. | "We've come a few times because we enjoy the fellowship and to celebrate St Patrick," said Stephen. |
| Orange Order events | |
| Events were also held in Armagh, Broughshane and Derry by the Orange Order and the Apprentice Boys of Derry to celebrate St Patrick's Day. | |
| Orange Order Grand Secretary, Rev Mervyn Gibson, said it was becoming an increasingly special day for the organisation. | |
| "St Patrick is there for everybody on the island of Ireland to celebrate and we celebrate it from an Ulster-British perspective and that's what we'll seek to do in the institution," he told BBC Radio's Evening Extra programme. | |
| He said people might be surprised by the Orange Order's involvement in St Patrick's Day events but he hoped attitudes would shift. | |
| "People tended to think that the 12 July was just for the orange and St Patrick's Day was just for the green, but certainly I don't feel that way," he said. | |
| The leaders of Ireland's main Churches, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh John McDowell (centre), and Catholic Archbishop Eamon Martin (right), were among those celebrating in Armagh | The leaders of Ireland's main Churches, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh John McDowell (centre), and Catholic Archbishop Eamon Martin (right), were among those celebrating in Armagh |
| In the Republic of Ireland, up to half a million people descended on Dublin for a parade led by the women's national football team, Irish state broadcaster RTÉ reported. | |
| The parade, the biggest on the island of Ireland, began at Parnell Square at 12:00 local time, with marchers making their way through the city. | |
| Crowds gathered early in Dublin for the Parade through the city centre | Crowds gathered early in Dublin for the Parade through the city centre |
| About half a million people celebrating in Dublin city centre this year | |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Republic of Ireland | Republic of Ireland |
| Dublin | Dublin |
| St Patrick's Day | St Patrick's Day |