Dawn services are held across Northern Ireland to mark Easter Sunday and the resurrection of Christ

The earliest services, to mark the Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, began at 6am, shortly before sunrise, which is at 6.09am – earlier than most years because Easter is late this year and happens well into spring.

One of the 6am services was held under an oak tree in Belvoir Forest park, in south Belfast by Ravenhill Presbyterian Church.

Worshippers gathered in the car park in semi darkness before dawn and then walked further into the wood, to gather under the tree, on which children clambered.

The service, which was conducted by Rev James Cochrane and an elder, Peter Scott, was attended by almost 40 celebrants, including children.

Among those who attended was Lucy Cochrane, a university nursing student. It was her first such dawn service.

She said: “But I am glad I came. It was a very nice way to start the morning. I could have slept in this morning.” Mr Scott asked the gathering to appreciate the wonder of God’s creation in their surroundings, in the forest park, amid birdsong. The service including readings, prayers, and hymns.

While it was not sunny, it was not raining like it did in much of Northern Ireland on Saturday.

The Belvoir forest service was one of many Presbyterian dawn services being held across the province, with start times ranging between 6am and 730am. There were also Anglican and Methodist and other dawn services.

See a list of many of the services below.

BELOW A LIST OF MANY OF THE SERVICES HELD THIS MORNING:

6am: Richhill Presbyterian Church (in the car park). 7am: Led by Knappagh Presbyterian Church, the service will take place in Killyleagh play park.

Ballymena 6.30am: Presbytery Service will take place in Slemish car park. 6.30am. Presbytery Service will take place in Portglenone Forest Park.

South Belfast 6am: Hosted by McCracken Memorial Presbyterian Church, people are asked to gather half way down the path near the House of Sport roundabout at the top of Malone Road to Clement Wilson Park. 7.30am: Joint Service with St John's Newtownbreda, South Kirk and Cooke Centenary Presbyterian Churches on the lawn of Cooke Centenary.

East Belfast 6am: Ravenhill Presbyterian Church will hold their service in Belvoir Forest Park, car park (entrance via Belvior Drive). North Belfast 6am: Organised by Whitehouse Presbyterian Church, the service will take place at Hazelbank Park, Newtownabbey.

Carrickfergus 6am: Hosted by First Larne, Gardenmore and Craigyhill Presbyterian Churches, the service will take place at Bankheads, Town Park, Larne. 6am: Whitehead Presbyterian Church service will be held at Blackhead Shore car park.

6am: Ballycarry Presbyterian Church service will be held at Templecorran car park.

6.30am. Greenisland Presbyterian Church's service will take place at the Knockagh Monument. 7am: Castle car park, Carrickfergus. 7am: Cairncastle Presbyterian Church service will be held Ballygally slipway.

7am: Ballylinney Presbyterian Church will hold a service at Hazelbank Park, Shore Road. Cars will leave from Ballylinney Church at 6.30am. 7am: Ballynure Presbyterian Church's service will take place in Ballyboley car park.

Coleraine & Limavady: 6am:Ballywillan Presbyterian Church will hold their service at Ramore Head, Portrush.

Derry & Donegal: 6.30am: Organised by Magheramason Presbyterian Church, the service will take place in Magheramason village, Dunnalong Road, by the riverside.

Down: 6am: Comber Churches Together will hold its service at Island Hill car park (Ringcreevy Road off the Comber-Newtownards dual carriageway). 6.30am: Carryduff and Trinity, Broadmills Presbyterian Churches. Meet at Broadmills Presbyterian, as the service takes place near the church.

Dromore: 6.30am: Legacurry Presbyterian Church.7am: Elmwood Presbyterian Church will hold its service at Belshaw's Quarry (at Bensons Road off Glenavy Road).

7am: Moira Churches Together will hold its service at the Sensory Garden, Moira Demesne next to the football pitches.

7am: Hillsborough Presbyterian Church will hold their service at Fort Field, Hillsborough Forest Park.

Dublin & Munster: 6am: Clontarf, County Dublin. End of the Bull Wall, via the wooden bridge besides the statue. Organised by local churches in the Clontarf area.

6am: Organised by Greystones Presbyterian Church, County Wicklow, the service will take place at the seafront on the rocks, just off Marine Road in front of the St David's Holy Faith Secondary School.

Iveagh: 6am: Newcastle Presbyterian Church will hold an inter-church service on the Central Promenade adjacent to the Avoca Hotel. 6.30am: Iveagh's Presbytery Service will take place in the Spelga Dam car park, Mourne Mountains.

Monaghan: 7am: Ballybay Group of Presbyterian Churches are hosting the service that will take place in Ballybay Town Park, County Monaghan.

7.30am: Monaghan Churches Together, which includes First Monaghan and Ballyalbany Presbyterian Churches, will hold its 'Son-Light' service, which will take place at Monaghan Collegiate.

Newry: 6am: The Presbytery Service will take place at Cloughmore Stone, Kilbroney Forest Park, Rostrevor, County Down.

Route: 7am: There will be a service on Ballycastle seafront. Templepatrick: 6.30am: The Presbyterian dawn service will take place at Second Donegore Presbyterian Church, also known as Dunamuggy.

Tyrone: 6.15am: An inter-denominational service will take place at Enniskillen Royal Grammar School. 6.30am: The dawn service will take place at Necarne Castle, Irvinestown, County Fermanagh.

6.30am: The service will take place at Knockmany Chambered Cain, Augher, County Tyrone. 6.30am: A dawn service will take place at Old Bridge Road.

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CHURCH OF IRELAND

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There is no centralised list of dawn services for the Church of Ireland, but here is what we have been able to glean at time of writing (there will be other parish services not listed here):

There will be an Armagh Diocesan service at The Argory, Moy, at 6.30am

Meanwhile Mullabrack and Kilcluney parishes are hosting a 6.15am service at Gosford Forest Park just outside Markethill

In Connor Diocese, Greenisland parish in east Antrim will hold a service at Knockagh Monument, 6am

In Ballymena, there will be a 6am service at the Old Church Yard on Church Street

In Antrim town, All Saints Parish Church will be hosting a service at Lough Shore at 7.30am

In Clogher Diocese, Rossory Parish Church in Enniskillen will hold a service at 6.30am at the ruins of Old Rossorry (with bacon rolls and tea in parochial hall afterwards)

Aghavea Parish Church in east Fermanagh is holding Holy Communion in the garden at 7am

Ardress Parish Church in north Fermanagh is holding a service at 6am at Muckross Quay

Killadeas Church on the east side of Lower Lough Erne is holding a service at 6.30am at the shore behind the church

In Down and Dromore Diocese, there is a 6am service at Willowfield Church in east Belfast

In Holywood, St Philip and St James' Church is holding a 6am service at on the church green, followed by breakfast

In Kilkeel, Christ Church will be hosting a 7am holy communion service on Cranfield Beach, along with a breakfast barbecue

In Derry and Raphoe Diocese, All Saints' Church in Clooney, east Londonderry city, will be holding a service at The Rectory at 7am

Leckpatrick Parish Church, north of Strabane, will host 6am service at The Rectory

Donegal Parish Church is to host a 6.30am service at The Old Abbey, Donegal Town

In Clondevaddock and Mevagh parishes in north Donegal, a 7am service will be held at Portsalon Pier

In Kilcronaghan and Ballynascreen parishes, there will be a service at 6.30am at the ruins of Kilcronaghan Old Church near Draperstown

Tamlaghtfinlagan Parish Church, Ballykelly, is hosting a 7.30am service at the parish church grounds

Castlerock and Dunboe Parish is hosting a service at Mussenden Temple

There is a 7.30am service at the old church ruins in the combined Kilrea Tamlaght O'Crilly parish