St Patrick's Day celebrations held across Northern Ireland

Colourful parades have been taking place in towns and cities across Northern Ireland to celebrate St Patrick's Day.

Thousands of people took to the streets of Belfast on Sunday afternoon to watch the festivities.

Meanwhile events have also been taking place in Londonderry, Armagh and Downpatrick with large crowds lining the streets.

In Dublin, tens of thousands of people wearing shamrock-shaped sunglasses, Irish jerseys and leprechaun hats came out ahead of the parade’s midday start.

Visitors travelled from as far away as Bolivia, California and China to catch a glimpse of the vibrant spectacle.

New Late Late Show presenter Patrick Kielty, the grand marshal of the national parade in Dublin, described Ireland’s national day as “the biggest party in the world”.

More than 4,200 participants were expected to take part in the flagship parade in the Republic's capital, featuring 18 performances and pageants.

The holiday commemorates Ireland’s patron saint and is popular around the world by Irish immigrants.

While St Patrick’s Day falls on March 17, some parades were moved to Saturday in the US because Sunday is a day of worship for the Christian faithful.

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