Sixty beacons lit in NI to mark Queen's Jubilee

Sixty beacons have been lit across Northern Ireland to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

A beacon was lit at the summit of Slieve Donard in the Mourne Mountains, and simultaneously at the highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales on Monday night.

Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland and Lord Mayor Gavin Robinson lit Belfast's Millennium Beacon at the Lagan Weir. Beacons were also lit in Armagh and at Antrim Castle.

Antrim mayor Paul Michael said it was a great celebration.

"The crowds really made it and again they've turned out in style in big numbers," he said.

"The whole community has come here to celebrate and it has been fantastic."

More than 4,000 beacons were lit in the UK and around the world.

The main events to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee include:

Tuesday

The Queen lit the UK's last beacon - the National Beacon - at about 22:30 BST before a firework display at Buckingham Palace.

She triggered the lighting of the final beacon by placing a huge crystal into a specially designed pod.

There have many events in Northern Ireland over the bank holiday weekend to mark the Diamond Jubilee.

Street parties have been held across Northern Ireland.

These included an old-style tea party at the Ulster Hall in Belfast, a Queen lookalike parade in Lisnaskea in Fermanagh and a concert in Lisburn.

A 21-gun royal salute marked the anniversary of the coronation in 1953, at Hillsborough Castle, the Royal family's official residence in County Down, on Saturday.

On Sunday, the Dean of Belfast paid tribute to the Queen during a service at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast.

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