Belfast, the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, is second to Dublin as the largest city on the island of Ireland.
In the 1820s, while other Irish towns experienced a loss of manufacturing, Belfast embraced industrial expansion. As the global leader in the production of linen goods, shipbuilding led the development of heavier industry, including the RMS Titanic, built by Harland & Wolff in 1911. The shipyards and the Short & Harland aircraft factory were targeted by the Germans in the spring of 1941.
Top left, the city landscaping, looking to the west, below that, City Hall. The Titanic Museum and the view from the Observatory Bar at the Hastings Grand Central Hotel, where we stayed. It is the tallest building in the city.
Northern Ireland in general, and Belfast in particular, is associated with the Troubles (1960s – 1998), a period of political and nationalistic violence. Although it was fueled by religion and history, it was a sectarian conflict.
Simply put, on one side were the Catholics, who were Nationalist and Republican in their political outlook. They wanted Northern Ireland to be united with the Republic of Ireland. On the other were the Protestants, who wanted Northern Ireland to remain under British rule. Ultimately, the Troubles were responsible for the deaths of more than 3,500 Protestants and Catholics. The story is told with murals.
Belfast has long been a divided city, with literal walls and gates separating the Protestant neighborhoods from the Catholic neighborhoods that formed the heart of the Troubles for decades. In the neighborhoods separated by these walls, the famous Belfast murals were created. Black taxi tours offer interesting tours of the murals, the peace walls, and more.
Sean, our driver with Black Cab Tours, highlighted the grievances of both sides as depicted on murals throughout the city.
The Titanic Experience relates the sad story of the infamous ship in a sensitive way. Built on the site of the Harland and Wolff shipyard where Titanic was constructed, Titanic Belfast features an angular, aluminum-clad design that mirrors the shape of Titanic’s prow and its height is the same as the ship’s hull. Interactive galleries trace the ship’s story from creation to its tragic sinking.
The museum featured “Exodus – The Art of Terry Bradley,” which showcased the Belfast native’s tradition of painting the dockers and working men of Belfast as well as contemporary pieces.
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