With many St Patrick's Day celebrations cancelled around the world over coronavirus, churches in Ireland are instead ringing their bells. 

Denis Nulty, Catholic Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, said that church bells were ringing out as a call to prayer and solidarity in the face of the pandemic. 

Churches were set to ring their bells for three minutes at 11am to mark St Patrick's Day. 

"The ringing of the bells on our National Feast Day will serve as a call to pray in solidarity and hope in these uncertain times," said Bishop Nulty. 

The spread of coronavirus has prompted the suspension of the traditional St Patrick's Day Mass, as well as regular Sunday Mass. 

Many churches are instead utilising the internet and social media to continue holding services. 

"Every crisis also offers us a moment to explore new ways of expressing our faith. The Church is not a building; it's a community, and on this day it's very much a digital online community," he said.

"Over the days we will endeavour to use digital media to its full capacity. The time will come, hopefully soon, when we can return to our churches and celebrate Mass but in the meantime let's stay connected in prayerful solidarity with one another.

"The ringing of our church bells on Saint Patrick's Day is one way of doing this." 

He asked that people pray for frontline workers and all those affected by coronavirus, but he also asked for prayers for priests, many of whom, he said, were making "huge sacrifices, often at a personal cost looking after their parish". 

"Look out for them, lower your expectation these critical days, so that they too may be protected fully from the virus and its impact," he said.

"And most of all look after yourself and one another, particularly those most vulnerable, fragile and on the edges. While the coronavirus recognises no boundaries; as people of faith neither does our love and compassion for one another."