The mayors and chairs of all 12 cities on the island of Ireland have met in Belfast for the first time. The inaugural Summit of the Cities brought together civic representatives from six Northern Irish cities and six in the Republic at Belfast City Hall.

Belfast Lord Mayor Róis-Máire Donnelly hosted the event, which organisers described as the start of a new era of collaboration between Ireland's urban centres. The combined population of the 12 cities is nearly two million.

Sessions covered topics including arts and culture, cross-border trade, housing and regeneration, smart city technology, and artificial intelligence. International speakers addressed delegates, among them former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, former senior Whitehall official Sue Gray, and the directly elected Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith.

Carl Whyte, a partner at MW Advocate and one of the summit's organisers, said the event showed the commitment of city leaders to making their communities the best places to live, work and visit. He noted that cities with large budgets and smaller ones woven into Irish history face many of the same challenges and opportunities.

Almost 250 people attended the summit. Supporting organisations included Belfast City Council, Intertrade Ireland, NIE Networks, Queen's University Belfast, and BCF Lending.

Plans are already under way for a second summit. Organisers expect to announce details of the 2027 event later this year.