St. Patrick’s Day Parade A First In Belfast, But Unity Shunned

Defying convention in this traditionally pro-British Protestant city, more than 10,000 Catholics marched into the center of Belfast on Tuesday in the city’s first-ever St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Celebrants strolled peacefully to the tunes of local reggae singers and a visiting Brazilian salsa band. But - despite written invitations - there was little participation from Protestants, whose favored patriotic color is orange and who fly the British flag.

“We’re putting St. Patrick’s Day on the map in Belfast,” said the parade’s organizer, Catriona Ruane, who in hopes of achieving Protestant involvement had required marchers to avoid political-party banners and told fife-and-drum bands to skip overtly anti-British tunes.