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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
Entertainment
Jane Corscadden

Belfast boy's 'day made' after being picked to walk in Twelfth parade

A young boy from Belfast had his "day made" when he was picked to walk in part of the Twelfth parade.

Seven-year-old Cody, from Dundonald, was twirling his baton while watching the parade in Belfast on Tuesday when a band member asked if he'd be up for leading their group for part of the walk.

The member from the Shankill Protestant Boys band came over to chat to Cody's dad, former Northern Ireland and Linfield player Norman Kelly, when he asked if the youngster would like to join in with the parade.

Read more: NI band go viral for wearing green alien costumes at Twelfth parade

Since Norman posted a video of the encounter to thank the band member, it has racked up over 250,000 views in a number of days.

"It's just unbelievable how well the video has done," he told Belfast Live. "I expected to just put out a wee thank you for letting him walk with the band, but it's just mental how many people have seen it.

"It made his day. Cody just loved walking along with the band, you could see it in his wee face. He was itching at every single opportunity, he kept going 'me, me, me.'

"For that to happen was definitely a special moment for him. He was up at every chance he could get, I had to keep telling him to come sit down in between bands as he was in the middle of the road playing with his friends, other wee boys and girls out playing with their poles."

Norman said Cody loved the experience, remarking the youngster probably would have walked on further if he let him. He added it's "lovely" to see how the other band members encouraged him as he led the group.

"He really didn't expect it to happen. I know the guy from the band and he came over just to say hello, but I didn't expect him to take Cody off into the parade. I think if I let him walk another couple of miles he would've kept walking," Norman said.

"I actually thought he did really well with the pole, he didn't drop it. It was funny he started putting it on his nose as he saw some of the others doing that.

"What's lovely from the video is seeing the other boy smiling and clapping him on, then at the end the boys in behind him were clapping him on too which was lovely to see. He's such a happy smiley boy, he just loved it."

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