During our month long stay in Belfast, Northern Ireland, we had the opportunity to experience many of the city’s attractions. While those that are mentioned in this posting may not have justified a full blog piece on their own, we felt compelled to give them their due respect in this compilation.
FALLS ROAD & THE GARDEN OF REMEMBERNCE - Originally just a Country lane, Falls Road is the main thoroughfare through West Belfast and is synonymous with the Republican (i.e. Irish Catholic) community. It’s neighboring street, Shankill Road, represents the Loyalist (i.e. British Protestant) community. In the Irish language, Falls Road means “Territory of the Enclosures.” Situated along Falls Road (referred to by locals as simply “The Falls”) is the” Garden of Rememberance” dedicated to the Irish Republican Volunteers and civilians who lost their lives from the Easter Rising of 1916 and during the 1969 to 1998 Belfast Conflict (aka “The Troubles”). This garden was built in 2001 by the Falls Cultural Society.
This little garden along Belfast’s Falls Road is dedicated to the Irish Catholics who died during the 1916 Easter Rising and the thirty years long “Belfast Conflict.” (There is a similar Remembrance Garden in the Protestant sector of the city, but we did not find it).
Constructed in 2001 under the auspices of the Falls Cultural Society, it seems a lot of effort went into making it look nice.
VICTORIA SQUARE DOME - Located within the Victoria Square shopping mall (the largest such venue in the city) is the 115 foot diameter, glass enclosed dome. Made up of 364 individual rectangular panes of four-times glazed glass, this iconic structure offers a 360 degree view of Belfast.
While Victoria Square is the largest shopping center in Belfast...
...it’s main attraction seems to be the iconic glass dome.
For the robust, you can walk up all those stairs to the viewing platform, or, for the more sane folks, you take the elevator.
From the top, there is a wonderful 360 degrees view of the city.
Here, you can see the titanic Quarter with the Harland & Wolff shipyards’ massive cranes, Samson and Goliath.
EUROPA HOTEL - Opened in 1971 on the former site of the Great Northern Railway Station, this 270 room hotel has hosted Prime ministers, Presidents, and celebrities. During the Belfast Conflicts known as “The Troubles”, this is where most of the world’s journalists stayed and it became known as “... the most bombed hotel in Europe (36 times)” , earning the nickname as “The Hardboard Hotel.” The Europa has been featured in two documentaries, “Lobby Lives” and “The Europa Hotel - Bombs, Bullets, and Business as Usual.” It was also featured in episode 11 of season three of “Sons of Anarchy.”
Located next to Belfast’s Opera House and across the street from the famous Crown Pub, the Europa Hotel was once considered “...the most bombed hotel in Europe” during the Belfast Conflicts.
This is what it looked like after one of the explosions.
Today, it is a luxurious place to stay and a top tourist attraction in the city.
OPERA HOUSE - Considered the best example of oriental-style architecture in the United Kingdom, Belfast’s Opera House opened, next to the Europa Hotel, in December of 1895. Nine years later, it was temporarily renamed the “ Palace of Varieties,” only to revert back to its original title in 1909. During the 1920’s and 1930’s, it played host to variety performances, while throughout World War II it was a repertory theater. From 1961 until 1972, the building functioned as a cinema, returning to its original function as a place for opera in 1980.
The 124 year old Opera House, with a seating capacity of 1063, is the “Grand Dame” of Belfast.
Over the years, it has hosted variety performances, a repertory theater, and a cinema, as well as a place for fine opera.
A view of the stage from one of the upper balconies.
It was not immune from the violence during the three decade long “Belfast Conflicts.” This was the result of a 1993 bombing at the Opera House.
BIG FISH - Perhaps the most unusual attraction in Belfast is the painted ceramic mosaic sculpture, aptly known as “The Big Fish” next to the River Lagan. This thirty-three foot long piece was created by John Kindness in 1999 and placed along the water’s edge opposite Belfast’s Custom House. Its ceramic tiles depict the history of the city, from the time of the Tudors, up to the present day. The city Council commissioned the work to celebrate the regeneration of the Lagan river and chose to place it at the confluence of the Lagan and Farset rivers.
Based on a character from the tale “The Boyhood Deeds of Fionn,” Belfast’s Big Fish is covered in ceramic tiles containing text and images of the city’s history. While the Ulster Museum provided much of the historical images , there are also contributions from Belfast’s school children. It is reported that the Big Fish contains a time capsule with “...information, images, and poetry on the city.”
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