Belfast is the capital and largest city in Northern Ireland with a population of 579,276 inhabitants (2001 census). It lies partly in County Antrim and County Down, at the south-west extremity of Belfast Lough, at the mouth of the River Lagan. It is the main tourist hub in Northern Ireland, having two airports, ferry, bus and rail terminals, and a major motorway network, throughout the region. Tourism is a major component of the economy with 1.74 million (2002 stats) visitors per year, with the majority passing through Belfast.
The city is steeped in history, being able to trace habitation in the area back to the Bronze Age through the Giant’s Ring, a 5000 year old henge located near the city, to the Iron Age hill forts, which can still be seen in the surrounding hills. Major settlement occurred in Belfast in the 17th century, when the Plantation of Ulster was implemented. This process was aimed at the colonization of an area, to maintain control through the external influence of many settlers, primarily English and Scottish. This inflow of settlers saw the development of Belfast into a significant town. It was from this point that Belfast gradually developed, becoming a major industrial and commercial centre in the 18th and 19th centuries. Today this history can be seen and experienced by the mass of historic buildings and heritage sites, from Belfast Castle, Cathedral and City Hall, to the great exhibitions of the Ulster Museum and the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, the city is a veritable treasure chest of history!! However, not everything in Belfast is old, how about paying a visit to W5!! Ireland’s only interactive discovery centre, with 160 hands on exhibitions and attractions, the centre has been recently voted Visitor Attraction of the Year, on two separate occasions. If its family entertainment you want, how about a trip to Belfast Zoo, a very popular day out for the kids!!
In Victorian times, industrialists and entrepreneurs left their mark on Belfast, through their shipbuilding, engineering and linen producers. Today, Belfast is home to the world’s largest dry dock, easily located by the giant cranes of the Harland & Wolff Shipyard. This shipyard was once the largest in the world, employing up to 35,000 people, and being famous for the building of the Titanic in 1912!! Like the shipyard, many significant buildings from the Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian periods remain, indicating the pride which these endeavours produced. Examples of this can be seen in Queens University built 1849, Ulster Bank built 1860, Northern Bank built 1769, Linen Library Hall built1788, City Hall built 1906, and of course St Georges Market!! The market, which is near the waterfront, has been recently restored to its full Victorian elegance, and is a good example of the life that still flourishes in the city. The city buzzes with activity around the countless, beautifully restored pubs, a good example being the Crown Liquor Saloon, located on Great Victoria Street. This pub, now owned by the National Trust, has been fully restored to its original exquisite Victorian glory!! It was also made famous for being the setting for the film ‘Odd Man Out’, starring James Mason!!
The recent history of Belfast is not one that could be called smooth, with the religious and political conflict, not always being easily understood by the outsider. These differences have been expressed in the murals left on the walls in the strongholds of the different ideological groups, namely Shankill Road, which is almost an entirely Protestant (Unionist) area, and Falls Road, which is an almost entirely Roman Catholic (Nationalist) area. It is worth a visit to these areas, to see the murals and to try and understand some of the history of Belfast, and see for yourself the places whose names we have heard in the news for so long!!
Today this is all behind us, and Belfast welcomes the visitor, with a warm smile and the friendliness one expects of the Irish, with its trendy cafes, bars and restaurants, many places of interest and entertainment venues, Belfast is definitely a must see location, and a great base from which to see the beautiful countryside of Northern Ireland!!
For your information.
Belfast International Airport is located at Aldergrove, approximately 21 kilometres west of the city. George Best Belfast City Airport, for internal flights, lies within the city limits, being only 2 kilometres from the city centre.
W5 is at Odyssey, 2, Queens Quay, Belfast.
The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum is located approximately 10 kilometres east of town, and includes appropriately furnished houses, mills, shops, schools and churches of the early 1900’s. The transport museum displays Ireland’s most comprehensive transport collection, from horse drawn carts to motor cars and steam locomotives, including the history of ships and boat building.
For steam train enthusiasts, Steam Trains Ireland, operate mainline steam train journeys throughout Northern Ireland, using lovingly restored locomotives and preserved carriages. These trips operate over Easter, Halloween and Christmas, with theme journeys during June for ‘Steam and Jazz’, and July and August for the ‘Portrush Flyer’.
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