Dawn services are held in locations across Northern Ireland to mark Easter Sunday

​One of the earliest, at 615am, was held under an oak tree in Belvoir Forest park, in south Belfast.

Worshippers gathered in the car park more than 20 minutes before the actual sunrise time of 636am and then walked further into the wood, to gather under the tree, on which children had clambered.

The service, which was arranged by Rev Marty Gray of Ravenhill Presbyterian Church, was one of the earliest of the various Presbyterian services being held across Northern Ireland, some of which began at 630am and others at 7am. There were also Anglican and Methodist and other dawn services.

At Belvoir, a man emerged from the people gathered to launch the service, first asking them to be silent to appreciate the wonder of God’s creation in their surroundings, under such a large tree, and to savour the peace of the hour and the birdsong. After an opening prayer, they sang a hymn.

A couple of miles away, worshippers gathered in Cregagh Glen to walk up to the summit on the Castlereagh Hills for a service overlooking Belfast (as shown in the video clip attached to this story).

That ceremony was arranged by Orangefield and Kirkpatrick Presbyterian churches. Meanwhile, in a nearby tree-surrounded ancient rath, Lisnabreeny, Ballynafeigh Methodists huddled together amids the chilly breeze to hold their own dawn service.

Marshal and Margaret Bogle, (above), from Bangor, who attend Orangefield, told the News Letter they were delighted to attend their first dawn service. They had previously been members of a Baptist church which did not have such dawn ceremonies.

Other services included one at Mussenden Temple on the north coast of Northern Ireland, and one at Carrickfergus Castle on Belfast Lough.