Worshippers up early as dawn services are held in locations across Northern Ireland to mark Easter Sunday

One of the earliest services, at 6.45am, was held under an oak tree in Belvoir Forest Park and organised by members of Ravenhill Presbyterian Church.

The short family service was followed by refreshments at the Church Hall.

Elsewhere, some services started at 6.00am and 6.15am, including one held at Inch Abbey in Downpatrick as worshippers in the Lecale Area Mission Partnership came together at 6.30am.

On the north coast, an inter-denominational sunrise service was held at Mussenden Temple, outside Castlerock at 7am.

Around 120 attended the outdoor service along with Rev Chris Mac Bruithin (Church of Ireland). Rev Peter Fleming (Presbyterian) and Rev Fr Neil Farren (Catholic Church).

The sun was shining for worshippers of Clough and Seaforde Presbyterian Churches who made their way to Murlough House Beach at 6.30am.

There were also Anglican and Methodist and other dawn services throughout Northern Ireland.

On social media, Rural Chaplain Kenny Hanna used the Cloughmore Stone in Newry as a cross-reference to the tomb of Jesus before his resurrection.

"Back then, some women, who followed Jesus, were trudging to Jesus’ tomb. They knew their entrance would be barred by a massive boulder, much too heavy for them to shift,” he wrote on Facebook.

"Like these ladies, there is a big blockage that also stops us getting to Jesus. It’s the huge stone of our sin, that we too are powerless to move.

"At its core, our sin is the fact that we want to be the boss of our own lives, loving ourselves most. We push Jesus out to the margins, squeezing Him in when it’s convenient, or when an emergency arises.

"Back to the ladies on their way to Jesus’ tomb. Knowing they could not shift this massive stone, but to their jaw-dropping amazement:

“... behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone” (Matthew 28:2)."By God’s power, the Big Stone has been moved from the tomb’s entrance. To God, the big stone is not that big!"

"And by God’s power, Jesus is risen from the dead and alive again.”