St Patrick’s Day is in full swing across Northern Ireland and the rest of the world.
Crowds in Belfast were gathering early this morning as thousands took part in the SPAR Craic 10k 2025 which finished up at Ormeau Park.
Tens of thousands of people are currently gathering in the city centre with the main parade getting underway and snaking through the city streets.
You can follow along with all the colour and spectacle below in our live blog:
Photo gallery of today’s events
Here are some photos from this morning’s SPAR Craic 10k 2025.
We’ll add more pics to this gallery as the day goes on.
We’ll add more pics to this gallery as the day goes on.
Parking in Belfast city centre today
Princess of Wales makes solo St Patrick’s Day visit to Irish Guards
Kate was at Wellington Barracks in London to take part in the Irish Guards’ St Patrick’s Day celebrations.
Wearing a bottle green coat, she was greeted by senior officers before heading to the Officers’ Mess to present medals.
The visit marks her second St Patrick’s Day as Colonel of the Irish Guards, a role she took on in 2023.
The princess presented operational medals to Irish Guards soldiers who recently returned from deployment in Iraq.
Following tradition, Kate also presented fresh sprigs of shamrock to officers, warrant officers, and the regiment’s Irish wolfhound mascot, Turlough Mor.
Following the regiment’s annual St Patrick’s Day parade Kate joined soldiers in the Junior Ranks’ cookhouse at Wellington Barracks for a half pint of Guinness.
Following the regiment’s annual St Patrick’s Day parade Kate joined soldiers in the Junior Ranks’ cookhouse at Wellington Barracks for a half pint of Guinness.
She spoke with soldiers, including those recently deployed overseas and others involved in training Ukrainian troops, about their experiences.
Guardsman Barry Loughlin, who led the toast, said afterwards: “She wanted to know how things were going with the blokes in general.
“She was really nice and really warm. I was kind of flustered. You could tell she had a genuine interest in us.”
The Princess of Wales last marked St Patrick’s Day with the Irish Guards in 2023 .PA
The Prince and Princess of Wales during their visit to the 1st Battalion Irish Guards in Aldershot in 2023.(Andrew Matthews/PA)
Pilgrims gathered at dawn at St Patrick’s grave
A group of pilgrims gathered at St Patrick’s Grave at dawn to mark St Patrick’s Day with a prayer.
The event was organised by Dromara woman, Siobhan Brennan, who was inspired after reading that St Patrick prayed as many as 100 Our Fathers before dawn.
This was the third annual cross-community dawn prayer event at Down Cathedral.
Among the pilgrims was a Croatian children’s author, Iva Berenek, who is now based in Dublin, and Patrick Ahaotu from Nigeria who now lives in the parish of St Anthony in Belfast.
Eileen Boden from Newcastle said it was a wonderful service, during which there were readings from the Gospel of Matthew and the recitation of St Patrick’s Breastplate.
Celebrations also taking place in Dublin
Belfast St Patrick’s Day parade route
Starting at the city hall at 1.30pm, local dance troupes, schools, community groups and musicians will weave their way through the city centre via Chichester Street, Victoria Street, High Street, Castle Place and Donegall Place, before returning to City Hall.
There will be road closures and diversions as a result in the following streets:
- Donegall Square West
- College Square East
- Wellington Place
- High Street
- Castle Place
- Royal Avenue
- Donegall Place
- Victoria Street
- Bridge Street
- Chichester Street
- Ann Street.
Scenes of celebration as St Patrick’s Day racers cross the finish line
There have been scenes of celebration as thousands of racers got up early on the Bank Holiday to race through the city as part of the SPAR Craic 10k road race.
The Spar Craic 10k 2025 at Ormeau Park on the 17th March 2024 (Luke Jervis Belfast Telegraph)
The Spar Craic 10k 2025 at Ormeau Park on the 17th March 2024 (Luke Jervis Belfast Telegraph)
The Spar Craic 10k 2025 at Ormeau Park on the 17th March 2024 (Luke Jervis Belfast Telegraph)
The Spar Craic 10k 2025 at Ormeau Park on the 17th March 2024 (Luke Jervis Belfast Telegraph)
What’s on as NI marks patron saint’s day
From parades of colourful floats and dancing leprechauns to a hike up Slemish and a trip on the Shamrock Express, there is plenty to do to celebrate
Quiz
St Patrick’s Day is here once again and if you are sitting with your feet up enjoying the bank holiday, now is the perfect time to test your knowledge with our quiz.
The Belfast Telegraph’s St Patrick’s Day quiz has 50 questions across current affairs, sport, film and television, general knowledge and geography, guaranteeing the ultimate holiday workout for your brain.
New Life City Church hosts cross-community St Patrick’s Day event
In a vibrant display of unity, the New Life City Church hosted a cross-community St Patrick’s Day event on Saturday that brought together residents from both the Falls and Shankill Road.
The celebration shows the significant steps being taken by local community groups towards fostering better relationships across the political divide.
The celebration shows the significant steps being taken by local community groups towards fostering better relationships across the political divide.