North Belfast

Vital role

Stretching from towering Cave Hill to the waterfront from which so much of Belfast's wealth was generated, North Belfast has played a vital role in the city's life from its 17th century origins onwards.

Four Corners

The oldest part of the city, Four Corners is at the junction of Waring Street, North Street, Donegall Street and Bridge Street. It was from here that all milestones from Belfast were measured. Now a hotel, the Four Corners building was built in 1871 by Thomas Jackson.

Belfast Exchange (Northern Bank) and Assembly Rooms

One of Belfast’s most important buildings, the Belfast Exchange was built in 1769 and the elegant Assembly Rooms upstairs, a venue for social and musical celebrations, were added in 1776. The Belfast Exchange was later converted to the Northern Bank by Belfast’s leading architect Sir Charles Lanyon.

First with the News

The Quarter has long been the hub of Belfast’s newspaper industry. Founded in 1637, the Belfast Newsletter, the world’s oldest continuously published newspaper, was based at 55 Donegall Street from 1861 until recently.

St Anne's Cathedral

Saint Anne’s Cathedral, from which the Cathedral Quarter takes its name, was opened in 1904, though its striking stainless steel spire wasn’t added until 2007. Among its many remarkable features is a baptistery roof composed of 150,000 pieces of glass mosaic.

Irish News Offices

Situated on the site of one of Belfast’s original cotton mills, the Irish News was launched in 1891. It took over its rival, the Belfast Morning News (which had begun life in 1855), the following year. Around the corner is the Belfast Telegraph, founded in 1870 by brothers William and George Baird. 

St Patrick's Church

The Gothic Revival Saint Patrick’s was designed by Timothy Hevey and Mortimer Thompson and consecrated in 1877. The society painter Sir John Lavery, who was baptised here, painted the triptych of oil paintings in the church.

St Patrick’s National School

Next door is a building which once housed Saint Patrick’s National School. Opened in 1833, its famous pupils included comedian Frank Carson and Rinty Monaghan, a world champion boxer in the 1940s.

Clifton House

Clifton House was opened in 1774 by the Belfast Charitable Society as the Belfast Poor House. Designed by the co-editor of the Belfast Newsletter, Robert Joy, it housed the poor and vulnerable of the town.

Clifton Street Cemetery

Set up by the Belfast Charitable Society at the back of the Poor House, it first advertised plots in 1797. Among those buried here are Dr William Drennan, the first to describe Ireland as ‘The Emerald Isle’, and Belfast’s first shipbuilder, William Ritchie.

North Belfast Orange Hall

Opened in 1885, this magnificent building is largely built of local stone. Its famous statue of King William 3rd arrived four years later, its passage from Donegall Quay watched by tens of thousands of people.

Indian Community Centre

The Centre, which promotes understanding of the Indian culture in Northern Ireland, is housed in the old Carlisle Methodist Memorial Church Hall. Built in 1875, it was designed by WH Lynn.

Crumlin Road Courthouse

Sir Charles Lanyon, Belfast’s most famous architect, designed the Courthouse, which was built in 1850. It is linked by an underground tunnel to Crumlin Road Gaol across the road.

Crumlin Road Gaol

Completed in 1845, this forbidding prison was also designed by Lanyon, using London’s Pentonville Prison as a model, with four wings fanning out from a central control area. Extensively renovated, it has been used for popular tours, plays and cultural evenings.

The Cave Hill Trail

High above Belfast, Cave Hill is one of the city’s most popular destinations, boasting a wild and wonderful country park just a few minutes drive from the city centre, historic Belfast Castle with its spectacular views and delightful Belfast Zoo, a specialist in conservation.

Belfast Castle

There are several tours and self-guided walks of various lengths and degrees of difficulty for the Cave Hill area. Before visiting Cave Hill Country Park it’s well worth stopping at nearby Belfast Castle first, where the history, geology and wildlife of the area can be discovered at the Cave Hill Visitor Centre. 120 metres above sea level, with stunning views of the city, Belfast Castle was built in 1870 in the Scottish Baronial style by the third Marquis of Donegall. The Castle and its 200-acre estate were presented to the City of Belfast in 1934. One of the many impressive features of the Castle is a magnificent Italian-style Serpentine staircase connecting the reception rooms with the formal gardens. The latter are themed around the castle cat and, if you look carefully enough, you’ll discover nine references to the cat, made in the paving, sculpture and garden furniture. The Victorian themed cellars contain an excellent restaurant and antiques shop. Kids will love the adventure playground, also in the grounds. Ideal for children between three and fourteen there are lots of exciting activities, including a space net and aerial runway.

Belfast Zoo

Next door to Belfast Castle is the atmospheric Zoo. Now a world leader in conservation, its unique 55-acre hillside location, breathtaking views and many rare animals make it one of Northern Ireland’s leading attractions. It houses nearly 1,200 animals and over 140 different species, a good number of which are on the critically endangered list. Its many highlights include the underwater views of the penguins and sea lions in their glass enclosure and an authentic rainforest enclosure. There’s the usual schedule of animal feeding times for all to watch and lots of options for feeding the kids too, including cafés, restaurants and picnic areas. There’s also a playground.

Cathedral Quarter

Around the cobbled streets of Belfast’s most historic area, a vibrant new entertainment and cultural hub is fast developing with a host of atmospheric pubs, chic bars and clubs, galleries, workshops and exhibitions, media and arts companies, boutique hotels, live music venues, fine restaurants and even a circus school! This exciting ‘left bank’ area is arty, funky and fun and is covered in detail in the Cathedral Quarter.

Arts, Crafts and Exhibitions

The Cathedral Quarter boasts a tremendous range of galleries, exhibitions and workshops, covering everything from printmaking and contemporary photography to exhibitions on the impact of the Second World War on Northern Ireland. There are many workshops available too and advice on where to find the finest local crafts.

Eating Out

Eating in the Cathedral Quarter is a truly unique experience with a wonderful mix of traditional quality and cutting-edge style. Atmospheric bistros and award-winning restaurants on cobbled streets combine with enticing tapas bars, sleek contemporary eateries and visually stunning restaurants in luxurious boutique hotels. Pubs

The heart of Belfast’s nightlife, the Cathedral Quarter has some of the city’s most welcoming traditional pubs. Renowned for their welcoming atmospheres and superb entertainment, they host live music of all kinds. The Quarter is also famous for intimate wine bars, stylish contemporary bars and popular gay bars.

Clubs and Music Venues

Belfast’s dedicated clubbers make for the Cathedral Quarter in droves, to dance the night away right through the week, whether it’s opulent hotel nightclubs or hugely popular dance clubs in stunningly designed venues. Ireland’s largest gay club is here too, while you can catch all kinds of cultural gems, from live music and drama to comedy and cabaret, at atmospheric live venues.

Accommodation

There’s something for every taste and budget with a top-end luxury boutique hotel and a popular outlet of the UK’s leading hotel chain, and as demand grows there are more stunning hotels on the way.

Future

The forthcoming St Anne’s Square development at the back of St Anne’s Cathedral will see a new Ramada Encore hotel and a multi-million pound dedicated arts centre, MAC, which will feature an international gallery and two state-of-the art theatre spaces.

Political and social tours

There are so many ways to explore the unique history and culture of North Belfast, including fascinating tours of our social, cultural and political heritage. Distinctive black taxi tours will give you a unique insight into the history of North Belfast’s two main communities and the history of the recent Troubles.

Prominent in these tours will be the famous murals of the area. The famous local art critic and poet John Hewitt described Belfast’s murals as Ulster’s ‘only expression of folk art’. Though the first political murals appeared at the beginning of the 20th century, it was during the Troubles that their number grew rapidly in both republican and loyalist areas of North Belfast. Today, the political murals of Belfast, referred to by the Independent newspaper as the UK’s ‘best tourist attraction’, are high on many visitor’s agendas and North Belfast is no exception.

Apart from directly political murals, many reflect subjects of cultural and historic significance to local communities, such as the Great Famine or the Battle of the Boyne. Other examples of community mural art can be found on the York Road.