On This Day: Celtic Carnival

On this day, 12^th 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.