Belfast Walking Tours

05/01/2025

https://youtu.be/KFU8-ZF1vQk?si=dKHVCOmVvvJzVo8_

Stevie Haughey, the founder of Ireland Before You Die, hits the streets of Belfast to ask locals and tourists some intriguing questions about life in the cit...

05/01/2025

“Homeless Jesus” lies outside Centenary House on Victoria Street, Belfast.

The statue was designed by Timothy Schmalz a Canadian sculptor and devout Catholic. It depicts Jesus as a homeless person, sleeping on a park bench. His face and hands are obscured, hidden under a blanket, but crucifixion wounds on his feet reveal his identity. The statue has been described as a “visual translation” of the Gospel of Matthew passage in which Jesus tells his disciples, “As you did it to one of the least of my brothers, you did it to me” (anyone who helps those in need is helping Jesus himself).

Centenary House is a hostel owned and run by the Salvation Army, while the adjoining Calder Fountain House includes self-contained flats. They provide vital services for some of Northern Ireland’s most vulnerable people, a safe supportive environment for individuals, helping them make positive choices about their current circumstances.

This powerful and haunting piece of art reflects the dual purpose of the Salvation Army. Its purpose is to raise awareness about homelessness. Five people have tragically died in Belfast in the 8 months up to August 2024

Schmalz intended for the bronze sculpture to be provocative, admitting, “That’s essentially what the sculpture is there to do. It’s meant to challenge people.”

The original sculpture was installed at Regis College, University of Toronto, in early 2013 and from then more than 100 casts of the statue have been installed worldwide. In several cities, the statues have been funded by anonymous benefactors, local churches, homeless shelters and charities.

04/01/2025

Rory Gallagher still pulling in the crowds at the Ulster Hall at his statue unveiling

A statue of Irish rock and blues legend Rory Gallagher has been unveiled at Belfast's Ulster Hall. It is located outside the venue on Bedford Street where Gallagher played regularly throughout the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The statue is inspired by a January 1972 Melody Maker magazine cover image of Gallagher onstage at the Ulster Hall and was created by Anto Brennan, Jessica Checkley and David O'Brien of Bronze Art Ireland. Many fans, family members and local signatories gathered for the unveiling of the statue. Lord Mayor of Belfast Mickey Murray opened the ceremony and said Gallagher's authenticity and talent transcended borders. Chants of 'Rory' and loud clapping filled the air throughout the ceremony. Relatives of Rory Gallagher said it was a great day. Those involved in the unveiling of today's statue said they hoped the memorial will ensure Rory's contributions to music are never forgotten

03/01/2025

Inspiring Hope

“The Spire of Hope” on St Anne's Cathedral otherwise known as Belfast Cathedral was manufactured in Zurich, Switzerland, from stainless steel and installed on September 11th, 2007 (initially designed to mark the cathedral’s 100 year centenary). It is now a well-known signature in the Cathedral Quarter and our Belfast skyline. It is 40 meters in length, and it is built into the roof and is illuminated at night, creating a beacon across Belfast (250 ft. above street level).

The base section of the spire protrudes through a glass platform in the Cathedral's roof and visitors can look up the spire to the heavens from the nave inside the Cathedral (page 3). The portion of the spire that is visible is equal in height to the Cathedral’s Celtic Cross (which is the largest in Ireland)

Also referred to by locals as the Javelin (or the needle). It was designed by local architects Colin Conn and Robert Jamison of Box Architects at a total cost of £700k.

The photos of the Cathedral in lights were taken during a light show as part of Belfast's culture night 2018.

30/12/2024

Us diving into 2025 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Disclaimer: Not Us, We provide the best walking tours around Titanic Belfast. These reflection pools surrounding the Titanic Museum Belfast are a few inches deep. They bring water to the foot of the building strengthening the allusions to naval architecture and providing ripple patterns of reflected light at night. Ouch for this guy 🤕.

28/12/2024

Frank Chisum had the girls 'all shook up' in 1979

Frank was from but was well known performer on the Belfast music scene

27/12/2024

This striking mural by the fabulous Manchester based duo Nomad Clan is called “Still Waters”.

The artists incorporate a strong focus on local history or topical issues into their work, and this mural contains a number of hidden messages. There are references to Belfast’s industrial past, its shipbuilding heritage, and the city's linen and its rope industries, at one time No1 in the world.

Through the porthole, we see a wolf, which was once an integral part of the Irish countryside and an important animal in Irish mythology. A chained wolf is also on the Belfast city’s coat of arms.

The stance between the wolf and the modern young woman is a subtle reference to the tensions that existed during “the troubles”, a retrospective look and acknowledgement of past and present. Her proud heritage is reflected with a neck tattoo. The waters between them are still, but they look into each other eyes with some unease

The artists often use androgynous in their murals. In this painting, it is also meant to represent a gay female in a place that had for so long banned gay marriage (until January 2020) and often lags behind with women’s rights.

26/12/2024

It's a knockout 🥊 Boxing Days in Belfast

The matriarch of boxing in Belfast was the indomitable Clara Copely, who was more widely and affectionately known as “Ma Copely”. She arrived in Belfast in the 1920s as part of a travelling circus performing in the “Chapel fields” (at St Malachy's Church, Alfred Street, Belfast). “Ma Copely” made Belfast her home and became the only female licenced boxing promoter in the UK, a unique achievement in the male dominated world of boxing 🥊. She promoted boxing fights twice weekly, initially under a tent in the “Chapel Fields” with all the razzmatazz of a circus. At that time, she lived in a caravan on the chapel fields as part of a family in the travelling amusement business, including a circus, funfair, and wax works.

In the 1930s, the boxing contests were held at the Chapel Fields, where during the summer, the fights took place outdoors and in the winter under a marquee. All contests were conducted according to BBBC rules. Many of Belfast’s best-known boxers began their boxing careers in ‘Ma’s tent such as Rinty Monaghan and other famous Belfast characters of that time such as Ginger Lecky, Digger Benson, Buckets McGahey, Kid Derg and ‘Buck Alex’ Robinson, who on one occasion wrestled with his pet lion. Prizes were small, but that money was welcomed by many a needy boxer’s family

In the late 1930s 'Ma' progressed to the ‘Ulster Hall’ where she successfully promoted Wednesday and Saturday “fight nights” for another 10 years establishing a legacy and love of boxing in the city, which still endures today

In 2016, to celebrate the city's boxing heritage and hero's commissioned 3 bronze statues;

1) Rinty Monaghan in Cathedral Gardens
2) John Caldwell in Dunville Park and
3) 'The Boxer' in Woodvale Park to celebrate all the boxing greats of the Shankill such as Tommy Armour, James 'Jimmy Warnock' and Davy Larmour

Rinty Monaghan (Aug 1918 - Mar 1984) was the first boxer from the Belfast (he lived in ‘Sailortown’) to win a World Boxing title, becoming undisputed flyweight champion of the world in 1948. Rinty's bronze statue is 10 feet tall. He was also a part-time cabaret artist. After all his fights, he sang 'When Irish Eyes are Smiling,' and the whole crowd joined in.

The sculptor was Alan [Beattie] Herriot from Edinburgh, who also created the sculpture of the great John Caldwell (May 1938 - July 2009). His statue of 'wee Johnny' is just over 6ft although he was 5ft 1in in real life and fought at flyweight when he won bronze in the summer Olympics of 1956 before becoming the world bantamweight champion in 1961. He also won the British and Commonwealth Bantamweight Championships in 1964.

Inscribed on plinth of the 3rd statue 'The Boxer' by in Woodvale Park reads;
"This sculpture celebrates the successful tradition of boxing in the greater Shankill area"

23/12/2024

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Belfast is gearing up to honour legendary blues guitarist Rory Gallagher with a day of celebration at The Ulster Hall.

21/12/2024

Great fun and a bit of history on our 12 pubs of Christmas walking tour with this fabulous group from Spiderrock

19/12/2024

Pleasure showing the board of directors and friends of KAA Gent around Belfast on our "Highlights" Tour this afternoon. Gent Football Club play Larne FC tonight in the UEFA Conference League KAA Gent

19/12/2024

"The Watson" where history meets hospitality - this landmark building now begins a new life as Belfast's lasest hospitality establishment following a £3.5m renovation

This unique triangular shaped building with its French style tower, was built in 1896 and was known as “Library House” (as it is beside Belfast’s Central Library at the corner of Library Street and Little Donegal Street).

Originally it served as an upmarket furniture showroom and factory for Robert Watson & Co Cabinet Makers and Upholsterers which made, among other things, “a mattress fit for royalty”. Their claim to fame was that the King and Queen of Denmark slept on one of their mattresses. Also the frames for the beds in the Titanic were made by Robert Watson & Co. The company traded on the site through 2 world wars and continued until late 1960's

On the listed buildings register it is described as one of “the largest and best surviving examples of a Victorian/Edwardian commercial furniture saleroom and factory in Ireland”.

The furniture showroom and factory building was originally built by James Kidd in two phases. The front four-storey section at Library Square (including the tower) was completed in 1896 and the rear five storey section at Union Street was completed in 1907.

The building lay derelict throughout the seventies and early eighties and it fell into a poor state of decay. A decade of dereliction came to an end in 1983 when new life emerged in the building and it opened as a Snooker Club trading as “Frames”

The Titanic Pub & Kitchen opened at the ground floor of the building during early 2012 and traded until closing in 2017. The Bear and The Doll bar opened in May 2017.

Library Street was originally known as “Casper Curry’s Meadow” and was the site for “Pepper Hill Steps”

https://belfastwalkingtours.com/tour/if-buildings-could-talk/

18/12/2024

Who remembers this place😍🧸🔫🏑⚽️🎾

During the 80s and 90s every child in Northern Ireland wanted to visit Leisure World, especially at Christmas 🎄🤶🎅

The former toy shop on Belfast's Queen Street, first opening its doors back in September 1976.

Sadly, after 22 years of making children smile, the popular destination sold its last toys in 1998. There's nothing like it in Belfast now

14/12/2024

There was "All kinds of everything" going on in Belfast in 1970

12/12/2024

We believe in miracles 🤣🤣

12/12/2024

This montage tells the story of one of Belfast's iconic buildings No 2 Royal Avenue and the development of 'the Avenue' during the 1880s as Belfast approached cityship The historic Grade B+ listed building has recenty been acquired by Belfast City Council and in the interim will be used as a cultural event space hosting gigs and exhibitions, while the council explore a pilot concept "an imaginarium - which will be an immersive experience for visitors to learn about the city"

For the first 125 years, the building operated as a bank at the heart of commerce in Belfast and for 24 years as a Tesco Metro store.

The site itself is historic as it was previously the home (from 1785) of a man called Waddell Cunningham, before it became a bank. Reputedly, he was the wealthiest man in town in the last half of the 18th century.

Cunningham (1730-1797) had extensive business interests in the West Indies; was the founding President of the Belfast Chamber of Commerce and first President of the Harbour Board. He also built the original 'Bank Buildings' next door (which was subsequently rebuilt 1901). He was a very important man, no doubt, but a man motivated by money. At a meeting in the Exchange Building in 1786, he was thwarted in his proposal for the founding of a slave trading company in Belfast by United Irishman and Presbyterian Thomas McCabe. Cunningham made his fortune in New York actively trading with slave colonies and owned plantations in Dominica, one of which he called "Belfast"

10/12/2024

That's easy for you to say

Over time, Belfast speech, like all language, has changed. Dialect words eventually fall silent

Belfast speech is a lively dialect of English largely peculiar to the city. The language heard on the streets and in the homes of Belfast is a legacy chiefly of two historic developments:

1/ The Plantation of the early 17th century when English and Scots came to settle in Ulster in large numbers and the modern town of Belfast was founded

2/ The growth of industrial Belfast during the 19th century and its attraction for many people in rural Ulster who wished to find work

The language of early Belfast was English but was spoken in heavily Scots and regional English accents. The growth of Belfast in trade and manufacturing meant job opportunities and the second half of the 19th century saw thousands of people from rural Ulster arrive in Belfast to seek work, bringing with them their ways of talking. Many of these incomers came either from mid-Ulster where the lrish language was still spoken and its influence on the English of the area was still strong or from the Scots-speaking north-east of Ulster.

Irish as an everyday language died out in Belfast by the start of the 20th century. There were vigorous but brief revivals of Irish encouraged by educated Protestants in the 18th century and during the all-Ireland Gaelic Revival of tho late 19th and early 20th centuries. However, the survival of Irish as an everyday language was mainly In its considerablo influence on the city's spoken English (Hiberno-English).

Over more than a century during and after the great influx, Belfast developed a colourful and distinctive hybrid English shared by the whole working class and lower middle-class
population, irrespective of religion or ethnic James Ellson

09/12/2024

It's great to let off a bit of steam 🚂

This is the Great Northern Railway (Ireland) 'Q' class No 131 heading from Central Station over the Cross Harbour bridge on its way to Whitehead 'Santa Special'

The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland was formed in 1964 to preserve Irish steam locomotives, carriages and rolling stock and to operate them on the Irish railway network for everyone to see, appreciate, enjoy and travel on. The Society currently has around 1,000 members from all across the world and depends on its volunteers to keep its stock of steam trains operational.

The “staff” are all volunteers who love the old railways and their knowledge of the machines and their history is fantastic. The costumes they wear are genuine period clothing that they have personally collected. The experience of being inside one of the older railway carriages transports you to memories of bygone days. Many of the steam engines are more than a century old. The RPSI people manage to run them in between the regular train services. There are all sorts of different steam train rides on offer, with many themed on certain occasions throughout the year such as the Santa Train on at the minute. The Santa Special runs until 19th December.

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