The success of the Fleadh has prompted calls for Belfast city centre to be pedestrianised permanently.

A large zone in the city centre was created over the course of the festival.

Representatives from the Alliance Party from across Belfast have now written to the council and other bodies calling for a "comprehensive review of pedestrianisation" in the city centre.

South Belfast assembly member Kate Nicholl said the Fleadh showed "Belfast at its best, open, welcoming and full of life".

"When we design our streets around people instead of traffic, our city centre becomes somewhere people actually want to spend time," she said.

She added that accessibility had to be taken seriously, however.

Green Party councillor Brian Smyth said the "bottom line" was that the Fleadh "would not have worked without pedestrianisation in the city centre".

Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme, infrastructure minister Liz Kimmins said she would support permanent pedestrianisation of Belfast city centre "if it works for the community".

However disability campaign groups, such as Disabled People Against Cuts Northern Ireland (DPAC NI), have voiced concern.

On social media they said: "We've seen this played out elsewhere and it's disabled people who pay a price for 'progress'."

DPAC NI spokesperson Dermot Devlin said that "many disabled people can only walk or wheel short distances".

"We need to park or get off public transport close to our destinations."

He added that "further pedestrianisation" of the city centre "without significant mitigation will exclude many of us from our city".