IN PICTURES: Crowds gather for Armed Forces Day event in Lisburn

The parade of serving personnel, cadets and veterans - with accompanying regimental bands - made its way through the city centre to Wallace Park. The Drumhead Service marked the end of the parade, with the drums of the regimental bands symbolically stacked as a field service altar with the regimental colours.

The park was the setting for a variety of family activities, with musical entertainment from the Military Wives Choir, Peter Corry and the Red Hot Chilli Pipers throughout the afternoon. Those who gathered for the celebrations also got to see parachute displays, old military planes and vehicles and talk to serving soldiers in Wallace Park. Mayor, Councillor Alan Givan, said: “I was honoured as Mayor to take the salute from the parade as it passed the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum.

"Lisburn has a long military history and it was fantastic to host a parade of armed forces regiments with their bands, cadets and veterans in our garrison city.

"It really was a fitting day to show the council’s support for our troops; and I would like to thank everyone who came to Lisburn to show their support for our veterans, current troops and future generations of service personnel.”