April 2015 - Belfast - Northern Ireland

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Belfast in my eyes is an up and coming city, there is so much to do in the city and has a great atmosphere and really interesting history. I never knew a lot about Belfast like it used to be a top producer of linen, or that the Titanic was built here (I know I should know that but I didn’t!)

The history of the troubles in Belfast is complicated so wont go into that. As you travel around the city you will see glimpses of the turbulent past. With the peace wall still erected and areas of the city shut at night to stop any violence. The city itself now is safe, clean and the people are incredibly friendly, welcoming and keen to point out any points of interest.

The first day we arrived we were advised to buy a ticket on the ‘sight seeing tour bus’, now I’m not particularly into this and try not to get ripped off by disappointing city tours. But this tour was fab. The bus went past every point of interest and the tour guides gave so much interesting history and facts about the city that I would recommend doing this. There is no other transport in the city so bus is the only means to get out and about a bit father from the center, and why not combine this with a bit of learning!

Our first place we wanted to go was the Titanic museum. The museum was great and well worth the time. It wasn’t all cheesy like the film; it brought real peoples stories to life and taught you about how the workers lived building the ship. They have spent a fortune making the building look good inside and outside, there are lots of interactive displays and a short film about exploring the titanic under the sea. They had replicas of how the rooms would have looked and a shipyard ride that took you through working on the ship. I would highly recommend visiting this if you are in Belfast.

We took the time to visit the Crumlin Road Goal (the prison) again another place we wanted to go. The tour takes you through the history of the prison and how the prisoners lived. The prison was opened in 1845 and officially closed in 1996. The cells still have writing on the walls and art the prisoners made. It was eye opening in terms of whom they had in this prison. They showed us the prison cells of where they kept those who were given a death sentence and then where they were hung. This was interesting but somber at the same time. The guide explained the story of the suffragettes who were imprisoned here and how they went on hungry strike, the first thing they did was force-fed them. Until they had unwanted results so they used to send the ladies home and ask them to come back a later date when fed! Of course they ran away!

One evening after dinner we went into an old-style Irish bar and tasted the local ale that was delicious. Most weekend nights they have entertainment with traditional Irish music.

The shopping in Belfast is great and it’s a lot quieter than the other UK shopping places. One of the shopping centers, Victoria Square, at the top is a viewing platform in the glass dome. This is free and the view is good. It’s not the tallest building but to be honest the tallest in Belfast is 26 floors so you get to see across the city.

On our last day we went to look at the city hall, they do a free tour here throughout the day. This is something that really opens up the world of the local mayor and Irish politicians. While on the tour you get to sit in the mayor’s chair! On entrance to the city hall the reception area is really grand and made of Italian marble. The tour guide tells you about the events that are held here and points out artifacts of interest, like the cabinet made for the captain on Titanic that never made it.

One fun thing we saw was the clock tower, its leaning just like the leaning tower of Pisa, well not quite that leaning but it is subsiding due to the river running under the road.

We saw and learnt so much more but I don’t want to bore you for too much longer!

The visit to wee Belfast was grand and I hope to go back again, maybe a shopping trip girlies?!!

Top Tips

1. Go on the sight seeing bus (never thought I would EVER recommend that) the tickets last two days and get you out to the peace wall and the prison, which would be a long walk.

2. Use the ticket from the above bus to get discount off tickets to the Titanic museum and the Crumlin Gaol.

3. Go to a traditional Irish bar.

4. Visit St Georges market on a Saturday or Sunday



5. If you have an iPhone or iPad and you have the maps app that is already pre loaded, turn on satellite, locate Titanic museum, just below is a face, this is a young George Best. (Thanks Ry for pointing this out)

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