Belfast, Northern Ireland – Part Two

The bus tour I went on with Allen’s Tours was meant to last 1hour 45 minutes, though with traffic can last a fair bit longer. We covered most of the city and important sites around the centre, including Stormont, Shankhill Road and the Titanic Quarter.

Murals: The murals of Belfast were to mark the different zones of Protestant and Catholic Belfast during ‘The Troubles’, though some now are for other purposes including the Narnia wall in tribute to C.S. Lewis and the peace wall which depicts murals of troubles around the world.

The Albert Memorial Clock: This was constructed between 1865 and 1870 as a memorial to Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert. It is 113 feet tall, though it leans 4 feet to the side as it was built on wooden piles on marshland reclaimed from the river Farset.

Harmony of Belfast: a bronze and stainless steel statue to represent hope and harmony for the future. It is also nicknamed ‘Doll on the Ball’, ‘The Thing with the Ring’ or ‘Nuala with the Hula’ (Nuala is a common Irish girl’s name).


City Hall: is the civic building of Belfast and was completed in 1906 from Portland stone in the Baroque Revival style. There is an almost exact replica in Durban, South Africa as the architect was inspired by the Belfast design. Outside there is a garden of remembrance and cenotaph which is Northern Ireland’s main war memorial.

Crumlin Road Courthouse: was designed by Charles Lanyon and finished in 1850. Opposite is the Crumlin Road Jail and it is linked to the courthouse by an underground passage, where prisoners would go direct from the dock to the jail.


Smallest House: in Great Victoria street was built for the caretaker of the Baptist Church next door in 1895. It was occupied until 1950 and at one point had a family of 12 living in it.

Grand Opera House: was designed by Frank Matcham and opened in December 1895. It is a theatre and held many gala performances. During its time it’s been renovated and repaired many times, especially when it suffered bomb damage when the Europa Hotel over the road was targeted during The Troubles.

The Crown Bar: dates back to 1826 and was a Victorian Gin Palace, now it’s a very elaborately decorated pub.