- Rory McIlroy was high profile at the Belfast parade.
Tens of thousands of people have taken part in St. Patrick's Day parades across Northern Ireland.
The main parade was in Belfast with the streets in the city a sea of green as families lined the route to watch the floats and listen to the carnival music with the Titanic commemorations and Ireland's golfers taking center stage. The parade left City Hall and made its way to Custom House Square where a free concert was attended by upwards to 8,000 revelers.
Those in attendance enjoyed the spring sunshine in a colorful event that is fast becoming one of the highlights of the city calendar.
Lord Mayor of Belfast Niall O Donnghaile hailed the green Mardi Gras as a huge success.
"What I was looking forward to the most was the work of youth groups, community groups, church groups all over this city, and beyond, that have been plowing away to showcase their talent, their creativity, their culture," he said.
"And it's a great display of the cultural wealth and make-up of this city."
And the mayor hailed the cross-community aspect of the carnival parade.
"I'm delighted to see the East Belfast Mission's Irish language class carrying their bi-lingual banner," he added.
"This is hugely significant and long may it continue."
In Armagh, the day passed off peacefully as business leaders and politicians held their breath ahead of a controversial Orange band parade
that evening. Earlier that day thousands of people braved the showers to watch the main council parade.
There were parades throughout the North with some of the biggest in Downpatrick in County Down, Newry and Derry where the Voyage of
Discovery themed parade saw up to 900 community and voluntary groups taking part.
Local groups, as well as schools, dressed up in colorful costumes to take part in the parade.
The celebration was described by Derry City Council as a "huge success."
