Belfast Wikipedia

Further opportunities for women on the Falls Road arose through developments in education and public health. Their route brought them down the Falls Road and into what are now remnants of an older Catholic enclave around St Mary’s Church, the town’s first Catholic chapel (opened in 1784 with Presbyterian subscriptions), and Smithfield Market. Meanwhile, road schemes, including the terminus of the M1 motorway and the Westlink, demolished a mixed dockland community, Sailortown, and severed the streets linking the Shankill area and the rest of both north and west Belfast to the city centre. The Greater Shankill area, including Crumlin and Woodvale, is over the line from the Belfast North parliamentary/assembly constituency, but is physically separated from the rest of Belfast West by an extensive series of separation barriers—peace walls—owned (together with five daytime gates into the Falls area) by the Department of Justice.

Ashes to Fashion at The Ulster Museum

The rebel tradesmen and tenant farmers were defeated north of the town at the Battle of Antrim and to the south at the Battle of Ballynahinch. Further emboldened by the French Revolution, a more radical element in the town, the Society of United Irishmen, called for Catholic emancipation and a representative national government. Abolitionist sentiment, however, defeated the proposal of the greatest of the merchant houses, Cunningham and Greg, in 1786 to commission ships for the Middle Passage. From the 1760s, profits from the trade financed improvements in the town’s commercial infrastructure, including the Lagan Canal, new docks and quays, and the construction of the White Linen Hall which together attracted to Belfast the linen trade that had formerly gone through Dublin. The compilers of Ulster-Scots use various transcriptions of local pronunciations of "Belfast" (with which they sometimes are also content) including Bilfawst, Bilfaust or Baelfawst.

• Hop on a bus or train from Belfast and explore some of the island’s most thrilling sights.
• Centuries of history combined with memorable experiences – what will you discover first?
• At the same complex, Banana Block is an innovative commercial and community events space in a former linen mill.
• The nearby Muddlers Club has become something of a Belfast institution as famous for its theatrical open kitchen as its mouth-watering food.
• Celebrate Belfast’s dynamic arts scene at this popular festival in the city’s cultural heart.

Things to Do & Events

Small, idiosyncratic Belfast has long punched above its diminutive weight in terms of cultural impact – the hometown of George Best and Van Morrison, the RMS Titanic and Harland & Wolff shipyard, and deeply politicized murals enlivening brick gable walls. Titanic Quarter has historic and state-of-the-art Titanic and maritime visitor attractions, hotels, sporting activities and tours for the whole family to enjoy. Spring is the perfect time to enjoy a walk in Belfast and beyond. Walk the maritime mile to discover a number of attractions, tours and activities, from the historic… Other sportspeople celebrated in the city include double world snooker champion Alex "Hurricane" Higgins and world champion boxers Wayne McCullough, Rinty Monaghan and Carl Frampton. Using articulated buses, the £90 million service saw a 17% increase in its first month in Belfast, with 30,000 more people using the Gliders every week.

Industrial expansion, sectarian division

Buildings and walls throughout the city are adorned with murals that reflect the city’s social, cultural, and political traditions and history. The city is the shopping, retail, educational, commercial, entertainment, and service centre for Northern Ireland and the seat of many of its largest businesses and hospitals. By the 17th century, the town was a busy port with small shipbuilding interests, which became firmly established after William Ritchie founded a shipyard (1791) and a graving (dry) dock (1796). Look out for meat from Hillstown Farm Shop, prebiotic foods from Amberline Preserves and mushrooms from Spore Shore. A bronze statue of Queen Victoria is accompanied by figures representing education and Belfast’s textile and shipbuilding industries, and a memorial to the Titanic lists the names of the more than 1500 people who died when the boat sank in the North Atlantic.

Take a black taxi tour of Belfast’s political murals

The Belfast landmark, Cave Hill, rises up behind the castle and if you are up for a walk, we highly recommend taking the time to walk to the top of Cave Hill for spectacular views over Belfast Lough and towards the Mournes – on a clear day. Belfast Castle is a relatively modern building, having been built by the third Marquis of Donegall in 1862 in what was his deer park. You’ll also find plenty of entertainment at theatres/events such as Monday Night Comedy, Belfast MAC or the Belfast Empire Music Hall. Popular pubs include The Duke of York, The John Hewitt, The Spaniard, The Dirty Onion, McHughes, The Deer’s Head and Whites in or near the Cathedral Quarter.

Some of our favourite things to do in Belfast involve food. On the day he was buried in the city, 100,000 people lined the route from his home on the Cregagh Road to Roselawn cemetery. Belfast was the home town of former Manchester United player George Best, the 1968 European Footballer of the Year, who died in November 2005.

Dublin

It can be said to include, at the Skainos Centre in unionist east Belfast, Turas, a project that promotes belfast cabs Irish through night classes and cultural events in the belief that "the language belongs to all". After such a busy day of sights, sounds and the finest food, you’ll need the finest place to stay. Spend a lively time in the heart of the city’s vibrant clubbing hotspot and LGBTQIA+ hub. In celebration of the city’s cultural diversity, this festival features parades, concerts, markets and more. From Black Taxi tours to food trails, there’s more than one way to explore Belfast. Hop on a bus or train from Belfast and explore some of the island’s most thrilling sights.

North Belfast and Shankill

Welcome to Belfast, Northern Ireland’s vibrant capital where rich maritime heritage meets cutting‑edge culture. For tips from those in the know head to Visit Belfast and discover a wealth of things to do in Northern Ireland’s capital city. It’s home to the city’s Botanic Gardens and also No Alibis, Northern Ireland’s only independent crime fiction bookshop. Away from the centre, discover Belfast’s quieter, budget-friendly options close to Queen’s University.