Belfast Walking Tours

21/08/2024

The beautiful bird on the wall at Coles Alley (Church Lane) by Annatomix, is a Redshank, with its distinctive orange legs and beak. At one time they were a common sight around the shores of Belfast, but due to development and loss of their coastal habitat their numbers are dwindling.

The Redshank, perched on the rocks and preparing to swoop, with its piercing eyes firmly fixed on its favourite food of crab, prawns & scallops 🐚🦀🦐 which lie invitingly on the wall below

It's amazing just how these super talented artists can completely transform bland streetscapes👏and oft-time eyesores with their creative and imaginative works of art (compare before & after, photos 3, 4).

Little known 'Coles Alley' (which used to link Ann Street to Church Lane - photo 8) is on the map of 1757 although it was not known by its current name until 1861. At one time there were 12 small houses in Coles Alley, which were all distroyed in the of 1941. One of the houses was previously home to an actress called Mrs Mellon who often performed in the Vault Theatre in Ann Street. In a real 'rags to riches' story her daughter Harriet (photo 7), who also became an actress, married Thomas Coutts, the head of
Coutts Bank and (after his death) became the Duchess of St Albans on her 2nd marriage to the Duke of St Albans (Source: Little Book of Belfast by Raymond O'Regan)

Great credit also to Belfast City Council in collaboration with for their which has helped to rejuvenate these historic Belfast passageways. Bullitt

17/08/2024

Yesterday afternoon we had the privilege of taking this fabulous award winning team from Robinson McIlwaine Architects on our architectural heritage tour. RMI are one of Belfast's longest established architectural practices and have been at the forefront of many iconic transformational projects (Waterfront Hall, Arc Apartments, the Kelvin) and conservation projects (Titanic Hotel, Weaving Works, the Pearl) to name but a few!

Our tour started at Belfast City Hall and expored the architecture around Donegall Square and finished in Cathedral Quarter Belfast at the Merchant Hotel

Belfast architecture is full of history and many of its buildings have had fascinating lives. You can find out so much about Belfast by just looking up and looking around at its historic buildings – they tell their own stories, not just about the individual buildings and the people who built them but also of the city at that time and about the development of the city. They are story books in themselves, stories about the people who shaped the city – the architects, the merchants, the industrialists, the sculptors and builders, the workers and also the significant events ('the Blitz', 'the Troubles' etc) that changed the city’s destiny, the shape of our city and our buildings.

These are some of the buildings on our route yesterday Visit Belfast

https://belfastwalkingtours.com/419/the-buildings-of-belfast-architectural-heritage/

17/08/2024

On Thursday afternoon it was a pleasure to guide the fabulous team from Lambert Smith Hampton on a tour around Belfast's Linen Quarter . The tour started and finished at their new state-of-the-art HQ in Belfast, "the Kelvin", named after William Thompson, Lord Kelvin who was born on this site 200 years ago. Kelvin was a colossal figure in 19th century science and was universally recognised as the leading figure in the world of science for over 30 years. His inventions and discoveries changed the world and such were his achievements he was buried in Westminster Abbey beside Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin.

There is so much history around this area of Belfast from magnificent Georgian and Victorian architecure, monuments, historic pubs, churches and public art which are all story books of how Belfast developed from a small town to an industrial power house. These are some of the other places we visited on the tour

Thanks to Neil McShane for the 📸 and Darren Fitzsimons for organising

09/08/2024

It was a privilege to be asked to guide the Lord Chief Justice from Tanazana and his team around Belfast on behalf of Irish Rule of Law International

The tour started at the Hilton Belfast and focused in the history and transformation of the Market area and the Laganside. We expored the Belfast story though our public art, monuments and historic buildings.

These are just some of the places we visited


Visit Belfast Maritime Mile

22/07/2024

The changing face of Belfast.. Our past, present and future

The Ulster University new £364m Belfast Campus will bring new life back to a once thriving part of Belfast, York Street. The images below refect the history of the area

While the historic buildings have gone, the cultural links to Belfast’s history of 'dancing and romancing' in 'The Ballroom of Romance' live on in 'The New Orpheus' in Cathedral Quarter. Owner Willie Jack salvaged memorabilia and historic artefacts before the buildings were demolished and relocated them. The original spring maple floor has been relaid along with stained glass and mahogany wall panels have been preserved

The name the 'Orpheus' lives on in Belfast 🎼 🎻. Orpheus was the inspired musician from greek mythology whose music is said to have charmed all living things

"The past is history
The future's a mystery
Today's a gift
That' why we call it the
PRESENT"

https://belfastwalkingtours.com/tour/cathedral-quarter/

10/07/2024

Today's tour was with this fantastic friendship group from various states across the USA for Avalon Journeys

The tour started with a walk around Titanic Quarter and the ever fabulous Titanic Hotel Belfast 🙏 and finished at Belfast City Hall. These are some of the various places of interest on our route

05/07/2024

Fun colourful afternoon with the AIB (NI) Retail Team exploring 2 themes - the Historic Pubs of Belfast and its world class street art. These are some of the places we got to visit

03/07/2024

This morning we had the pleasure of showing the students of Stefan Andres Grammar School, Schweich, Germany around Belfast. The theme was "the Troubles", the path to peace and the transformation of Belfast since the Good Friday agreement in 1998

Belfastwalkingtours.com

25/06/2024

Fun afternoon with this fabulous team from AIB UK Products. So much history in such a short walk. Fantastic to get inside Belfast Harbour Commissioners and Sinclair Seaman’s Presbyterian Church which have an amazing array of maritime artifacts. The tour finished in Belfast Cathedral Quarter Lynda Roney

24/06/2024

The Leaning Tower of Belfast

The Albert Memorial Clock is one of Belfast’s most recognisable landmarks. It was built between 1865-1869 at a cost of £2,500 and weighs 2000 tonnes and is 141 feet in height. Its bell alone weights 2 tonnes and can be heard from 8 miles away. The clock is 155 years old - 10 years younger than Big Ben (on which its modelled). It was built on marshy reclaimed land at the mouth of the River Farset and over the years it developed a 1.25 metre tilt as the support piles were not deep enough. In 2002 at a cost of £2.5 million it was restored and reinforced by 20 concrete pillars which go down 30 metres into the squelchy ground creating a concrete collar around the original wooden support piles. At the time of restoration the lean could could have been corrected but was not as it was considered a unique feature. As we say “It has both time and inclination”

Film footage from PRONI and Northern Ireland Screen

19/06/2024

16/06/2024

It was a real privilege to take a "Belfast Highlights" Tour this morning for this fantastic group in memory of a former colleague and friend Gary Radcliffe. Thanks to the generosity to all those on the tour we raised over £500 for the amazing charity that is Macmillan Cancer Support

MacMillan provide services for people living with cancer at every stage of their cancer experience. They provide emotional, practical, physical, and financial support. The organisation is 98% funded by voluntary donations, so fundraising is essential to make sure we can deliver the vital support people living with cancer need. Gary's wife Breige together with Louise, Joan, Grace, Catherine and Claire are hiking around the Giants Causeway to raise vital funds. If you would like to donate for this worthy charity there is a Just Giving link below 🙏

https://www.justgiving.com/team/CausewayClippers

15/06/2024

Yesterday evening's walking tour was with this great team from Hanna & Hutchinson Consulting Engineers Ltd

The theme of the tour was the history of Belfast through its historic pubs. We started at the Crown Bar Belfast and finished at The Deer's Head

As we walked around the team had their own competition as to who could take the best photograph of the city's historic buildings or streetscapes. Some fantastic photographs were taken and it was difficult to pick a winner, but these were our top 3 👏 How many of these buildings do you recognise? Did we get them in the right order? It was a really fun way to spend a few hours Visit Belfast

https://belfastwalkingtours.com/411/historic-pub-tour/

14/06/2024

Wee geg 🤣

13/06/2024

The Monastery, once surrounded by Linen Mills, factories, and terraced housing was opened in 1911 to serve the growing Catholic working-class of this area who up until then had what was known as “ The Tin Church “ the first purpose-built chapel in Clonard as their place of worship. The simple rectangular brick wall with a corrugated iron roof, which seated 720 people it was located on Clonard St and served the community for 14 years, 1897 – 1911.

In 1906 the then Bishop Henry sanctioned the building of a permanent church to seat 2000. The Church of the Most Holy Redeemer 1911. The Church cost £32,000 to build, but today would likely be worth millions. Designed in the French Gothic style, It is majestic in its architecture and decor. The beautiful Rose window, spectacular in design, sits 22m in size.

The McNaughton brothers of Randalstown start construction of the new church at a cost of £20,600. Many problems occurred sourcing local quarries to supply granite blocks and pillars, the builders struggled financially, and in May 1910, one of the McNaughton brothers dies and the other goes bankrupt. The building was 3 quarters finished when Architect JJ McDonnell assumed control of church, final cost is £32,000 and the formal opening of the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer was on the 1st of October 1911.

The interior, with it’s marble pillars, displays decorative religious symbols, colourful mosaics and numerous side altars all equally as beautiful and speak of the faith of its community from past generations until today.
The most loved side altar is that of Our Mother of Perpetual Succour (now called Mother of Perpetual Help) to which people have flocked for generations.

Each year during June there is a 9-day Perpetual Novena that draws people from all over the world, over 100,000 people and many more through we**am take part. The Novena, now in it 80th year was first introduced by Fr Matt Meighan an American Redemptorists in 1943, during the dark days of WWII.

Attendance draws such crowds that traffic is often at a standstill. This devotion to Our Lady continues to be celebrated and is a much-loved form of prayer. One can leave petitions at the altar and the community will offer prayers for those special intentions. People often share thanksgiving stories of what they were praying for and how those prayers were answered.

The Church is served by the Redemptorist’s community who first settled in Clonard House 1896. They are a congregation of priests and brothers free from parochial duties. Their primary vocation is of preaching the Good News of plentiful redemption to those most in need.

The Monastery, to the side of the church was also construction by Architect JJ McDonnell. Construction began in June 1898 and the building was occupied May 1900. Cost £10,500. 54 rooms for community and retreatants.

The crypt below the altar has also been used as an air raid shelter to protect both Catholic and Protestant people during the Belfast Blitz and WW11

The Monastery was the place to go to no matter what your need was and has been a sanctuary of hope and help for rich and poor alike. Regardless of denomination, a visit to Clonard Monastery will leave you amazed by its beauty. For many who visit this is not just a church. It is a place of solace, faith, and hope it’s filled with memories of old neighbours, friends, and family. The Clonard area is one of those areas full of history, with more history than can be added here.

Although we may not know it, it’s likely that the events in this area have had a huge impact on your life “some for the good and some for the bad” 🕊🙏

12/06/2024

We can see how this became a textbook classic photo! 🌋 👌

The photo is from the disused quarry on the slopes of Cavehill and it clearly shows the layer cake geology that makes up the upper part of the Belfast Hills. The white rock at the top is the Ulster White Limestone formation that formed as the result of calcareous ooze at the bottom of a warm, shallow sea during the Cretaceous period. The black rock at the top is the Lower Basalt Formation of the Antrim Lava Group that formed as a result of volcanic activity during the Palaeogene period. The quarry face is approximately 50m high.

Perhaps what is most interesting about this image is the igneous d**e that can be clearly seen in the middle. This vertical feature would have been intruded as magma (molten rock) into the pre-existing layers of limestone and basalt. It has since cooled and crystallised to form a vertical sheet of solid dolerite. The d**e displays horizontal jointing that would have formed perpendicular to the cooling surfaces (the rocks on either side) as it cooled.

This photograph would have been familiar to many geography and geology students as it was used in Professor WW Watts best-selling geological textbook, ‘Geology for Beginners’, first published in 1898. It was then used in Arthur Holmes’ ‘Principles of Physical Geology’, first published in 1944 that has gone on to be of the most successful geological text books ever written, with millions of copies sold and influencing generations of geologists around the world.

The quarry is now very much overgrown and the igneous d**e is no longer visible but you can still see the horizontal layers of basalt and limestone as you walk past.

Approaching summer holidays, If you're looking for a great walk to burn off some energy then there are plenty of opportunities in Cave Hill Country Park. With great geology, as well as some amazing archaeology, history and biodiversity, this walk is definitely worth the trek to the top.

Great information from Geological Survey of Northern Ireland

11/06/2024

As part of Belfast Photo Festival (6th~30th June) the historic Riddell's Warehouse is one of the cool locations being used for a fantastic interactive tech-art installation called 'SMILE AI' by Matthias Oostrik. It immerses it's audience into a dystopian future where reality is refacted through the lens of AI's statistical interpretations. Under the theme "Opps! We automated bu****it" Smile AI transforms portraits of its visitors into flawless, super-persuasive replicas, eerily smiling back at the audience.

The building itself is so worth visiting as it harkens back to an important time in Belfast's industrial history. The Riddel & Co business operated from here from 1867 until 1973. John Riddel founded Riddel’s Hardware Merchants and Ironmongers and for many years it was one of the largest ironmongery warehouses in Ireland, selling cast iron manufactured by its sister firm the Musgrave Iron Foundry In some ways, it as if Riddels moved out last week.

09/06/2024

Great Scott, what's the fastest way to Heaven? 🙏🚖

"Your future hasn't been written yet. No one's has. Your future is whatever you make it, so make it a good one". Dr Emmet (Doc) Brown

The Delorean car is another of Belfast's ill-fated icons that we just love ❤️.

08/06/2024

There are no language barriers when you are smiling. 😀❤️🇹🇼

I'd some craic with this fun group from Taiwan, so much that I was sad to leave them. They couldn't understand a word I said, but that didn't ruin our day(thanks to the translator)🤣. Beautiful people who gifted me some authentic Taiwan tea, biscuits, and a keyring.

Kind people are the best kind of people, thank you ❤️

07/06/2024

We had a fantastic day yesterday on 4 private tours (Belfast Highlights, Historic Pubs and Pack Up Your Troubles). The city was buzzing with people and tourists. In the morning we had a 'Belfast Highlights' tour with Kelli and her 3 daughters from all the way from Southern Carifornia and in the afternoon a historic pub tour with Clint and Haley also from the USA where we got to explore the history and hospitality of Belfast's historic pubs

05/06/2024

Enjoyable evening walking tour with the senior leadership team from AIB UK.

The tour explored the history of Belfast through many of its historic buildings, some of the most significant events, characters and transformations over the different periods. These are just some of the places we passed on route to Cathedral Quarter

05/06/2024

⚡️keep your eyes peeled ⚡️

Belfast will play host to a convoy of DeLorean cars this weekend — and not because of a Doc Brown experiment gone wrong.

05/06/2024

"a time for this city to acknowledge the courage and valour of one of our own."

James Joseph Magennis VC, Belfast’s recipient of the Victoria Cross. The highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. It requires an act of extreme bravery in the presence of the enemy and has achieved almost mythical status, with recipients often revered as heroes. Born at Majorca Street, Grosvenor Road, Belfast.

A trained diver who learned to swim at the Falls baths and was educated at St Finian’s Primary School, Falls Rd, James Magennis made two exhausting dives to attach magnetic mines to a Japanese cruiser during WW2. He was the only native of Northern Ireland to receive the Victoria Cross for Second World War service.

On 31 July 1945, age 25, his midget submarine XE.3 was ordered to attack the 10,000-ton Japanese heavy cruiser Takao anchored in the Straits of Singapore. When the sub was in place, Magennis tried to get out to attach his six mines to the ship. But he found it had jammed under the cruiser's hull and that the hatch wouldn't open properly. His only option was to strip off some of his equipment and squeeze out.

Once outside the sub, he found the hull was too dirty for the mines to stick, so he had to carefully scrape it clean with his knife. Magennis spent 30 minutes completing the task, with the constant risk of discovery. A lesser man would have been content to place a few limpets and then return to the craft. Magennis, however, persisted until he had placed his full outfit.

Magennis then re-joined the crew of XE.3. Their final task was to drop two large explosive charges under the ship, but one failed and had to be released by hand. Although exhausted from his first dive, Magennis insisted on going back out to free the charge. It took him seven minutes using a heavy spanner before the charge could be released, and the midget sub could escape.

Magennis and his lieutenant Ian Fraser later received a VC for their bravery during the attack on the Takao. Soon after, on his return to Belfast in December 1945, he was greeted as a hero.

However, there was some embarrassment both on the part of the Unionist establishment, that a working-class Catholic should receive Northern Ireland’s only World War Two Victoria Cross and by the Nationalist community, who were reluctant to acknowledge the wartime service of Catholics in the British armed forces.

A public collection raised £3066 (around £100,000 in today’s money) in his honour, but following his discharge from the Navy in 1949, Magennis fell on hard times and found life in Belfast difficult.

Humiliated by newspaper coverage of the 1952 sale of his medal for only £75 and its return by the Belfast dealer (Patrick Kavanagh Gresham St) who purchased it, Magennis later moved to Yorkshire to work as an electrician. He died in 1986, aged 66. Buried in Halifax. (1919-1986).

In 1999, a 6ft-high Portland stone and bronze memorial sculptured by Elizabeth McLaughlin was unveiled in Belfast City Hall grounds. Unveiling the memorial, the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Bob Stoker, a Unionist and Orangeman, said it was a special occasion and, "a time for this city to acknowledge the courage and valour of one of our own".

The hero from West Belfast was given official recognition, nearly 55 years after he was refused the freedom of the city by an earlier Lord Mayor.