Row erupts over Belfast fireworks display

There is a row in Belfast over when the city’s annual Halloween fireworks display will take place later this year.

The city fathers have decided to hold Halloween a day early because it falls on a Sunday.

Until the 1980s, all bars in Belfast closed on Sundays in deference to the Lord’s Day and there are still objections from members of Ian Paisley’s DUP party to shopping and sports on Sundays.

Nationalist councillors, however, say that this is ridiculous and the city will be one of the few in the world not to stage an event on the actual night of Halloween.

DUP councillor Ruth Patterson said the decision was correct, as many people who might otherwise attend the display would be in church.

Sinn Féin dismissed her argument saying children would expect the display on the night of Halloween itself.