On This Day: Celtic Carnival
Date: 12/06/2021 10:22
On this day, 12th June, in 1925, the Celtic Carnival opened in Belfast by the Right Honourable Lord Mayor, William Turner. An eclectic parade entertained the thronging crowds, including floats from the fire brigade and what appears to be a women's football team, a pipe band, and a Chinese-style dragon. Various dignitaries made speeches from the platform, including the politician Joe Devlin, a distinguished orator and parliamentarian. Unfortunately, as the clip is silent, we do not know what was said. Elsewhere, a funfair has been set up and a carousel adds to the gaiety.
The clip is especially poignant given that Belfast was
emerging from bitter sectarian violence that gripped the city just a few years
earlier. In this footage there is little trace of those dark days, which seem
to have been swept aside by the carnival atmosphere and the bright June
sunshine.
This short excerpt offers a flavour of the occasion -the
full clip, Opening of the Celtic Carnival by the Right Honourable Lord Mayor
of Belfast (1925) can be viewed on the Digital Film Archive here.