Brussels to host parade

BRUSSELS will host a St Patrick’s Day parade for the first time this year as part of a week of related activities.

About 15,000 Irish people live in Belgium but the organisers have put the emphasis on including not just the Irish community but also other EU nations in the events.

The focus of the week will be the parade on Sunday, which will begin in the Cinquantenaire Park, a centrepiece of the EU region of Brussels.