Linda Duffin reports: "The March was good tempered"

Thousands in Belfast enjoyed a good-natured parade - only the second of its kind - despite the shooting dead in the city of loyalist leader Frankie Curry.

And the massive celebrations in the Republic's capital Dublin - the biggest ever - optimistically promoted the Good Friday peace process as thousands flocked into the Irish capital.

Children in costume parade into Belfast

In brilliant spring sunshine, "St Paddy's" revellers converged on the centre of Belfast along four main thoroughfares, blowing whistles and beating drums to create a Mardi Gras atmosphere.

Contributions to the event were strictly controlled with no sectarian regalia and no "militaristic" bands, although black flags were carried for murdered nationalist lawyer Rosemary Nelson - killed by a car bomb on Monday.

Children formed the focal point as they paraded dressed as animals, birds and mythical creatures past stages filled with musicians playing everything from traditional Irish songs to jazz and calipso.

And taxis packed with flag-waving, cheering children rolled into the centre of Belfast emblazoned with shamrocks.

Taxis led the parade into Belfast

The parade nearly failed to go ahead after unionists on Belfast City Council withdrew their backing in a row over regulations and allegations that it was a "one-sided" nationalist event.

The nationalist community relied on donations to ensure that the parade went ahead, including a European Union "peace money "grant.

Elsewhere in the province parades went ahead without any hitches, with the exception of the town of Kilkeel, where the start was delayed by a bomb scare.

Director of Belfast's four-day festivities, Catriona Ruane, said the parade had been unnecessarily "politicised" by unionists.

'Claiming back St Patrick'

"It is a multicultural event and people of all cultures are welcome. We have even designed our own carnival flag printed in four languages - Irish, English, Ulster Scots and Chinese," she said.

In Dublin, the Ulster Protestant Rev Roy Magee, a key broker in securing the Good Friday peace agreement for Northern Ireland last year, led the parade as honorary grand marshall.

Opening the festivities, Rev Magee said he had turned down an invitation from US President Bill Clinton to go to Washington with many of Northern Ireland's other leaders so that he could be in Dublin.

"I am really here today to claim back St Patrick for some of the Protestant people," he said.

'The world's biggest drum'

But he also took the opportunity to caution against "retaliation" for the murder on Monday Rosemary Nelson.

"It has been done for a purpose - to evoke a reaction. That must not happen," he said.

Hosted by the suburb of Tallaght, the festivities brought to a close five days in which Dublin launched its nine-month long millennium celebrations by setting off six-and-a-half tonnes of fireworks.