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St Patrick's Day festivities taking place across NI

BBC The Harte family with their young daughter Grainne at the base of the St Patrick's monument on Slieve Patrick. Her mother Maeve has shoulder-length straight blonde hair and is wearing a green sweatshirt and a read, white and blue tartan scarf. Grainne has short blonde hair, a beige overcoat and is holding a pine cone. Her father has short, greying hair and is wearing a navy coat and dark blue jeans. BBC
The Harte family were among pilgrims who climbed Slieve Patrick to reach the the St Patrick monument at the top of the hill

Tens of thousands of people are expected to take part in parades and other festivities across Northern Ireland to celebrate St Patrick's Day.

Among the big events taking place is the parade in Belfast city centre, the centrepiece of a 17-day programme of celebrations running over recent weeks.

In Londonderry, the parade staged by the North West Carnival Initiative, will have 'Forest, Sky and Sea' theme as Derry celebrates the arrival of spring.

Parades are also due to take place in Enniskillen, Downpatrick, Newry and Armagh and, for the first time in seven years, in Ballycastle.

Downpatrick

Brittany Shoemake poses for a photo with a group of 23 young US tourists at Saul Church in County Down. Brittany has shoulder-length blonde hair and is wearing a white t-shirt under a black jacket. Some of the youg people are weaing padded jackets and woolen hats.
Brittany Shoemake visited Saul Church in Downpatrick with a church youth group from Missouri

In Downpatrick, early risers made their way to Saul Church – St Patrick's first church in Ireland.

Among them were a group of young people from Missouri who had arrived this morning.

Leading the group was Brittany Shoemake.

"We are a church youth group and we are here for the week and we're here to serve with RIOT (Revival in our Town) in Dundrum," she said.

"We flew in today on St Patrick's Day – so what better day to come and learn about St Patrick and his life and what he means to this country?

"We'll do the communion service here then the walk to Down Cathedral. There'll be a picnic lunch and we'll celebrate the day."

Just a short distance away pilgrims were walking up the steep inclines of Slieve Patrick to the St Patrick monument.

Out for a family walk were three-year-old River and two year olds Freddie and Felix from Killough.

Speaking for the group River said: "I'm going up the big mountain."

The Harte family from Downpatrick were also climbing the hill.

According to mum Maeve: "This is our daughter Grainne and we thought we'd start a family tradition of bringing her up here - getting her used to her culture and to explain heritage."

A large boulder in the grounds of Down Cathedral is covered with floral tributes as the stone marks the reported burial place of St Patrick. It is surrounded by cobbled paving and is marked with a stone plaque. Other headstones are in the graveyard and the Mourne Mountains can be seen in the distance.
This large boulder in the grounds of Down Cathedral is venerated as the reported burial place of St Patrick

Back in Downpatrick the McGrail family from Lurgan had arrived early and were among the many visitors to the patron saint's grave at Down cathedral.

"We are down from Lurgan, there is nothing on there today," their mother Grace said.

"We're down for the parade and the festival. It's more for the wee man (Rowan) that we are here," their father Darragh added.

"We were at a trad session in Killyleagh the other night and he absolutely loved it."

Thousands of people are expected to pack the town centre for the annual parade on Monday.

Belfast

Pacemaker A packed city centre street has huge numbers of crowds lining the streets to view a parade. A number of figures in fancy dress make their way through the crowdPacemaker
The parade is expected to draw huge crowds into Belfast city centre

Police in Belfast have urged everyone to enjoy the celebrations and "to act responsibly, think of others and have a great St Patrick's Day".

The city's council has been hosting a series of events from the start of March, including the four-day Belfast TradFest celebration of traditional music.

Monday's parade leaves City Hall at 13:30 GMT while the Cathedral Quarter will also be home to a St Patrick's Day Festival Village.

Belfast Lord Mayor Micky Murray said the festivities promise a "multi-cultural celebration of music, culture, the Irish language and community".

Police are encouraging everyone to enjoy the festivities "safely and responsibly".

"If you are socialising, stay with your friends, drink responsibly and make a plan to get home safely," Ch Supt Gerard Pollock said.

He added that people should be especially "mindful of their attitudes and behaviours towards women and girls".

Police are also warning about antisocial behaviour in the university area of the city.

"We have again been working hard to highlight that the residential areas of south Belfast are not a party or nightlife destination," a statement said.

Traffic disruption is expected in Belfast and in Derry throughout Monday's events.

Martin McKeown A huge crowd of people make their way down Shipquay Street in Derry. The city's mayor is at the front, a pipe band just behind. Flags are being flownMartin McKeown
This years parade in Derry begins at 15:00 GMT - thousands have attended the parade in previous years

Derry

Derry's parade is due to get under way at 15:00 GMT.

The council's head of culture, Aeidin McCarter, said the local economy would benefit from the influx of visitors to the city.

"We know our hotels are seeing an uplift this weekend with visitors coming to stay, we've lots of people out and about and those people are spending money in our retail and hospitality venues," she told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme.

She said the council had spent up to £30,000 in the parade and other St Patrick's Day events and hoped to increase the investment in carnivals and festivals in the coming years.

Shows a woman with dark hair in a green jack and cream top standing at the riverside with boats in the background
A rising tide floats all boats - Aeidin McCarter, head of culture with Derry and Strabane Council, says festivals like St Patrick's Day are a great boost for the local economy

Police in the city are also encouraging people to be aware of an initiative launched in 2022 for people feeling unsafe when out socialising to discreetly signal they need help.

It works by encouraging anyone who feels at risk to ask staff in bars, pubs and clubs to Ask for Angela – that notifies bar staff to situations and allows them to step in.

"By asking for Angela, a person who may be feeling uncomfortable or feel unsafe within a licensed venue can quickly alert staff," Supt Pete Brannigan said.

Deirdre Goodlad is standing in front of the Ramoan Church of Ireland in Ballycastle. The sun is reflecting off the building behind her. Deirdre is wearing a blue top and glasses. She is smiling and looking directly at the camera.
Deirdre Goodlad from Irish language group Glór na Maoile is one of the Ballycastle parade organisers

Meanwhile in Ballycastle, momentum is building ahead of the County Antrim town's parade.

Deirdre Goodlad from Glór na Maoile, a local Irish language group, said there had not been a parade there since 2018.

A piper is expected to lead participants through the town to the seafront for live music and a market.

Ms Goodlad said: "Everybody is so excited."

'We decided we needed a parade'

"It happened last year after St Patrick's Day when people said there was nothing on … so we decided we would need a parade," Ms Goodlad said.

"It has been a number of years and we wondered could we do it again."

Volunteers have been organising the event since January.

Ms Goodlad said: "It takes a lot of effort, but it has been worth it so far to have the momentum building in the town."

Organisers expect 1,000 people could turn out to take part in the event and watch it pass through the town.

It's due to include schools, sporting clubs, Irish dancing groups, and musicians.

The front of the Save the Children charity shop in Ballycastle. It has green bunting and shamrocks on the window. Green items of clothing including a dress, a St Patrick's Day hat, children's clothes and toys are on display.
Ballycastle businesses have been decorating their shop fronts ahead of the St Patrick's Day parade

Ballycastle businesses have been creating window displays in advance of the parade which Ms Goodlad said adds to the carnival atmosphere for the community.

The parade is due to leave from the Dalriada lower carpark at 13:00 GMT.

"Everyone will be gathering in their club or community club colours … from there we'll all walk together behind the lovely piper," she said.

"There will be lots of ribbon waving and we hope that once we get to the seafront the stage will be ready to go with live music from local acts."

Paula Reid is wearing a green tee-shirt with a shamrock on it. She is smiling directly at the camera and standing in front of the Ramoan Church of Ireland building in Ballycastle. Paula has dark hair which is tied back.
Paula Reid is part of the Ballycastle Community Festival steering group and said "there will be something for everyone"

Paula Reid, who is also on the event's steering group, said: "There will be something for everyone.

"I was inundated with lots of people coming to me asking if they could participate. It has been phenomenal."

Ms Reid said they have had a "great response and great support from local businesses and the general community. Everybody is so looking forward to it".