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| Thousands attend Northern Ireland St Patrick's events | |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Thousands of people are attending St Patrick's Day parades across Northern Ireland on Monday. | |
| Downpatrick, Londonderry, Omagh, Enniskillen and Armagh are all staging large parades. | Downpatrick, Londonderry, Omagh, Enniskillen and Armagh are all staging large parades. |
| Belfast staged its parade on Sunday. It left the front of the city hall at noon and made its way to Custom House Square for a concert that began at 13:00 GMT. | Belfast staged its parade on Sunday. It left the front of the city hall at noon and made its way to Custom House Square for a concert that began at 13:00 GMT. |
| The organisers of the Downpatrick parade said they expected about 30,000 spectators to attend. | |
| Its theme is 'world music and dance' celebrating St Patrick's Day as an international festival. The parade assembled at Ardglass Road at 13:00 GMT, departed at 14:30. | |
| In Derry, 600 participants took part in the parade themed on music, magic and myth. | |
| It left Derry City Council car park at 14:30. | |
| In Omagh, an open air concert has been held along with a parade between 14:00 and 15:00 GMT. | |
| Enniskillen's main parade started from Lakeland Forum at 15:00 GMT and then circles the town. | |
| More than 15,000 people were expected at the Armagh parade which left the Palace Demesne at 12: 45 GMT and made its way through the city centre. | |
| 'Biggest in years' | 'Biggest in years' |
| On Sunday, Lord Mayor Máirtín Ó Muilleoir hailed the city's St Patrick's Day parade as the biggest in years. | On Sunday, Lord Mayor Máirtín Ó Muilleoir hailed the city's St Patrick's Day parade as the biggest in years. |
| Thousands of people were in the city centre for the parade and a free concert. | Thousands of people were in the city centre for the parade and a free concert. |
| The theme of the parade was St Patrick - Into The Future, with the saint depicted as a time-travelling adventurer. | The theme of the parade was St Patrick - Into The Future, with the saint depicted as a time-travelling adventurer. |
| The parade included floats, performers and music. | The parade included floats, performers and music. |
| Among the floats was a Back to The Future flying DeLorean, and a Doctor Who Tardis. | Among the floats was a Back to The Future flying DeLorean, and a Doctor Who Tardis. |
| Mr Ó Muilleoir said: "What we wanted to do was, because St Patrick's Day isn't a public holiday, let's have an event everyone can attend. | Mr Ó Muilleoir said: "What we wanted to do was, because St Patrick's Day isn't a public holiday, let's have an event everyone can attend. |
| "All the schools are closed today, there are no places of work really open and I think it's paid off for us." | "All the schools are closed today, there are no places of work really open and I think it's paid off for us." |
| He added: "It's the biggest turnout I've seen in some years on St Patrick's Day, great colour, lots of green, and what really thrills me is that 700 young people, from right across the city, the Shankill and the Falls, are leading the carnival parade." | He added: "It's the biggest turnout I've seen in some years on St Patrick's Day, great colour, lots of green, and what really thrills me is that 700 young people, from right across the city, the Shankill and the Falls, are leading the carnival parade." |