The Tall Ships came, we saw, and they conquered. During these last four days some 40 Tall Ships from all over the world became the focus of this year’s Belfast Maritime Festival and thereby created history for this sea-going port and for the people of this province.

It was a magnificent spectacle in and around Belfast Harbour when hundreds of thousands of people enjoyed the glittering exhibition of unique ocean-going thoroughbreds and also the bustle and excitement of a festival in high summer.

Even the weather, which is so unreliable here, rallied on Saturday and the colours of all the nations were displayed proudly against a blue sky.

So often the topic of ‘flags and emblems’ creates trouble in Northern Ireland, but this time it was different. The Belfast Maritime Festival was a celebration for the people by the people. It was truly one of the greatest local events of modern times.

Much was expected in advance and sometimes the reality fails to live up to the expectations. It was not

true this time. If anything, the numbers exceeded the organisers’ most optimistic forecasts. Despite the huge attendance the four-day event passed off with remarkably little disruption, apart from traffic congestion.

The Tall Ships event demonstrated that Belfast can claim to be in the highest rank of maritime venues. The four-day extravaganza could have fitted easily into other world-class ports including Sydney and Boston, but this was Belfast. We have come out of a long historic winter to take our rightful place in the sun as a port and a city in the top league.

Such success does not happen by accident. Many people in many places worked hard for a long time to ensure that this year’s Atlantic Challenge would end in Belfast and that many more Tall Ships would also grace the port.

Thanks are therefore due to a very wide range of people — to those who ensured that this would happen, to the Government, City Council and others who provided support, and to the Belfast Harbour Commissioners and their staff who, with others, ensured that everything worked so well.

Northern Ireland people of all backgrounds are

proud of their heritage, and none is to be more cherished than that of Belfast and its maritime history. The visit of the Tall Ships underlined the romance of the high seas but also the importance of ocean transport for the economic prosperity and survival of those who need great ports and vessels to keep the supply-lines open. The Tall Ships have left Belfast with wonderful memories and now they have sailed over the horizon we are left with the rest of our summer and also with returning to normality.

Nevertheless, the memories linger on. The Tall Ships did us proud by coming here and Belfast rose to the challenge with warmth and great hospitality.

It is some 19 years since the Tall Ships last visited Belfast, but it is to be hoped that they will return much sooner next time.

In the meantime there is a hearty thanks from all of us, and also a ‘Bon Voyage’ to those stately vessels and their crews who made the seafaring magic of the last few days possible — and here’s to the next time!