North's Tall Ships Hailed A Success

Day one of the Belfast Maritime Festival has been a huge success.

The first evening celebrations finished off last night with a spectacular fireworks display over the Lagan.

Thousands were on hand for the spectacle and many more are expected to pour into the city today to visit the ships, although forecasters have warned that the weather is set to deteriorate.

Overall, the city is preparing for almost half a million people, including almost 90,000 international visitors, during the four-day festival.

Already, organisers said attendance figures had "far exceeded" initial expectations with unconfirmed reports indicating upwards of 100,000 visitors in the first day.

Visitors both young and old travelled from across the country to the city centre for the first day of the major international event.

Following the official opening queues to climb on board the many Tall Ships docked along the banks of the Lagan grew, with young and old wanting to view the magnificent vessels.

Belfast Lord Mayor Naomi Long said the 400,000 visitors expected throughout the festival will leave with a "lifetime of memories".

"It has been a a long held ambition of Belfast City Council to bring Tall Ships back to the city since the last highly successful visit in 1991.

"This will be the biggest event that Belfast has ever hosted and the single biggest event on this island this year. We will have visitors from all over the world and they will enjoy the warmth and hospitality for which Belfast people are renowned," she said.

"Lifelong memories will result from this weekend, not just for the people who live in this great city but also for the crews, particulary our own young people who have sailed across the Atlantic, and all our visitors from all over the world."

NI Tourism Minister Arlene Foster described the Tall Ships Challenge as one of the most "important events in Northern Ireland this year".

Culture & Leisure Minister Nelson McCausland said 18 years after the first visit by the Tall Ships demonstrates how much the city has developed: "It took a leap of faith and imagination to bring the Tall Ships to Belfast in 1991.

"The event captured the imagination of all involved and encouraged the public and private sector to develop the port and invest in important infrastructure work which supported Belfast's development and attracted other maritime events.

"Above all this event has demonstrated what we can do when we work together," he said.

The event was however plagued by transportation difficuties.

The North's transport company, Translink has said there will be extra buses and train carriages laid on today to transfer passengers to and from the Tall Ships festival in Belfast after considerable traffic disruption as thousands of people made their way to the event.

A spokeswoman said extra carriages have been added to the Londonderry to Belfast train in response to increased demand on the service.

Passengers complained on Thursday after trains passed through stations along the line without stopping because they were too full.

Hundreds of people were affected and had to make alternative arrangements to get to Belfast docks.

(BMcC/KMcA)