The Fleadh may be the best thing to happen to Belfast in my lifetime.

That is a fairly sweeping statement, but after spending much of this week covering Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, I am struggling to think of anything else that has changed the mood of the city so completely.

It has been one of the most enjoyable weeks I have had since becoming a reporter, and not only because part of the job involved investigating the best places to eat.

Belfast has felt different.

Chris Donnelly: Unionism can learn from week that shows how Irish culture can accommodate all

Sophie Clarke: The Fleadh may be the best thing to happen to Belfast in my lifetime

The streets are packed, music seems to be coming from every doorway and, most unusually of all, almost everyone appears to be in a good mood.

There are obvious reasons for that. The food stalls, pop-up bars and pedestrianised streets have all helped, while the sheer volume of music, song and dance has made it almost impossible to walk through the city centre without stopping to watch........

© The Irish News