Belfast by Myselfast

My lifelong interest in the Titanic, a crush on Anthony Boyle (look him up), an extra paid holiday at work, and a bit of impulse was a powerful combination that led me to Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland. I also felt that Belfast would be much different than places I’d been already. The version of Europe that I’m usually obsessed with is the fairy tale like one with opulent palaces and imposing cathedrals -- and I definitely never get tired of those things. But the fact that Belfast is not so much a palace filled fairy tale made it all the more intriguing. Belfast is industrial and maybe a little scrappy. Let’s swap out palaces for shipyards and look into some other sides of Europe.

If you mention Belfast or Northern Ireland to people over 50 or so, they will likely remember a few news reports about conflicts of some sort going on there. Recent films like “Belfast” and TV shows like “Derry Girls” and “Say Nothing” have jogged international memory. Sometimes what happened in Northern Ireland from the late 1960s to the 1990s -- known as the Troubles -- gets labeled as a Catholic vs. Protestant issue. The Irish were/are largely Catholic while the British (mainly the English) were/are largely Protestant. However, political and economic factors were involved as well.

Clashes between the Irish and the British (again, mainly the English) go back much further than the 20th century. King Henry II of England claimed ownership of his kingdom's island neighbor in the 1100s. England achieved more formal ownership by the 1500s and English King Henry VIII (yeah, THAT one) decided to make England Protestant instead of Catholic, including Ireland. The English/British sent citizens to Ireland to set up communities just as they did in its American colonies. As time went on, they also enacted voting and property laws along with gerrymandering that all aimed to prioritize Protestant Brits living on the Emerald Isle and prevent too many Irish Catholics from getting ahead in society. Many believe this discrimination even contributed to the potato famine of the mid 1800s as the Irish were pushed onto less favorable farmland. Some also believe that the British government's sectarian sentiments deliberately contributed to the long-held fears that each side had for each other.

The Irish “nationalists” declared independence in 1921 but six northern counties with more Protestant “unionist” (or the more passionate “loyalist”) Brits stayed as part of the United Kingdom. In 1969, Irish Catholics in the six counties of Northern Ireland found inspiration in the civil rights movement of the United States and began campaigning for their own equal treatment. Unfortunately, riots broke out and eventually British troops were sent to the region.

Paramilitary groups like the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in favor of a united Ireland and the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) in favor of Northern Ireland staying with the UK emerged on both sides. In prominent cities like Derry (or Londonderry) and Belfast, bombs and violence from recruits of these groups occurred and caused casualties in restaurants, nightclubs, or simply in the streets. British government forces used tear gas to break up riots and security checkpoints in Belfast city centers made each side only retreat more into their sections of the city. Misinformation about who was responsible for some incidents kept fears more alive. Even still, much of what happened during these decades have conflicting accounts.

So-called Peace Walls were put up in Belfast and many still remain, especially around Shankhill Road (a Protestant British area) and Falls Road (an Irish Catholic area). These walls are the source of Belfast’s now famous murals, although the subjects of such murals change. As of 2024, some feature images supporting Palestine, a people with whom the Irish tend to relate given their struggles with Israel. Some murals are more permanent, like the Bobby Sands mural on Falls Road. Sands was an IRA member who died on a hunger strike while in prison just one month after he was shockingly elected to parliament.

Since it would take a while to become an expert on this topic, let’s jump to the factors that aided to the peace. The Catholic Church began losing influence. Punk rock united young people who loved it and older people who did not regardless of national identity. New ideas about what the rest of the world was up to - some related to easier coexisting of Catholics and Protestants - came to Northern Ireland as more of the region’s residents began to travel. The independent part of Ireland was doing well economically too, making a possible reunification less frightening. And finally the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, also known as the Belfast Agreement. President Bill Clinton advocated for this solution alongside local figureheads. Among its provisions was more equal government representation for those on both sides of the conflict.

A little over 3,000 died because of the Troubles. This may not sound like a lot compared to other major conflicts, but it is a lot to a region of relatively lower population like Northern Ireland. The effects of conflict obviously extend to those who survived and positivity can be slow to regrow. People of Northern Ireland were/are no exception. Feelings about a unified Ireland still exist among citizens and government reps alike, but are more relaxed. Today Northern Ireland’s safety is comparable to the rest of the UK, if not even lower. 

Side note: does any of this fear and division talk remind you of anything going on in the United States as of the 2020s? Even my Troubles tour guide wished us Americans well in our looming 2024 election before mentioning the hateful noise surrounding it.

Tours focusing on the Troubles are numerous. There are walking tours and the unique-to-Belfast black taxi tours that take you to prominent places relevant to the era. What makes these tours all the more educational is that some guides actually lived in Belfast during these difficult times and try to give unbiased facts. Find either type of tour with a quick Google search. 

You can always take walks on your own to see walls and murals around Shankhill Road, Falls Road, and Divis Street near Divis Tower. I chose to head to Falls Road and the areas around the Clonard Monastery. The street signs were in English and Irish, showing its history as a predominately Irish neighborhood. The Irish Republican History Museum is close by too. When I approached a memorial (specifically the Clonard Martyrs Memorial) right along one of the Peace Walls, part of me had a feeling that I should leave because I didn’t want to look suspicious in a former hot zone of conflict. Maybe it was just the initial shock of seeing one of the walls in person. But I tried to instead focus on the Halloween decorations that some of the families in the neighborhood had put up on their cute little homes. A kid in a Scream costume even waved at me. Life manages to goes on.

Clonard Martyrs Memorial on Bombay Street

Clonard Monastery with peace wall visible in bottom left

Belfast keeps eyes on its many positive sides too. As it is still very much an Irish place, that means pubs. Head to the Cathedral Quarter for some of the city’s most famous. I felt wonderfully surrounded by locals at Maddens Bar as I checked out the decor. There were accordions, phrases in the Irish language, and music ads all over the walls. There were also some bits of decor that reflected the Irish's feelings of kinship with other marginalized people of the world. I'll be particularly excited to back to Maddens next time I visit Belfast.

inside Maddens Bar

After Maddens, I followed the sound of Irish music to Kelly’s Cellars. This is one of the oldest places in Belfast and was a meeting point for Irish independence advocates in the past. There was an amazing violinist and guitar player performing quintessential Irish music. I can’t finish a full Guinness so I asked for just a shot of Guinness. The bartender was confused but said, “Do ya mean a Baby Guinness?” I said sure. Apparently a Baby Guinness is a shot of Bailey’s Irish cream and something else I couldn’t understand. I sipped on it while listening to music and looking at old photos that almost completely covered the walls. Some were from the Troubles and another was from when the "Games of Thrones" cast visited. There were big tables filled with people meeting friends and wait staff asking “you alright?” (a common Irish and British greeting). Other popular pubs include Duke of York and Whites Tavern. Highly highly recommend any of them.

Not far from these popular pubs is Belfast City Hall. This gorgeous building is like a centerpiece for the city and is surrounded by statues and memorial gardens. Get close to them to see who or what they represent. Go inside to see wall paneling that inspired that of Titanic's. The area around City Hall has a few hidden gems, like The Crown Liquor Saloon with an ornate facade. Another is The Garrick, a Victorian era pub with a rather poignant quote on the side. Victoria Square just around the corner from City Hall offers a visual example of how Belfast blends the old and new.

The Crown Liquor Saloon

around City Hall

old and new architecture at Victoria Square

me with the sign at Belfast City Hall

Zoom in for the quote on The Garrick

I love a good niche interest. Thankfully, I have many. One of them is the Titanic. I had both of the Magic Tree House books that were about the Titanic and visited the Titanic museum in Branson, Missouri when I was 10. The nerdiness has always stayed with me. Belfast became a major shipbuilding city in the early 1900s and in 1909, White Star Line commissioned Harland and Wolff to build Titanic right in Belfast. Look for the tall yellow H&W cranes that still dominate the industrial landscape near Belfast’s harbor. The huge, pointy building close by is Titanic Belfast. This museum shows what it was like to be a shipbuilder in Belfast at the time, the actual building of Titanic, living spaces on board, and all the factors that led to her sinking. My favorite part was the open space behind Titanic Belfast because it is over the exact slip where she was built. Walk to the end of the open space to see the water inlet where she and so many other massive ships took off. I definitely spent a moment to look out over the water here and think about where I was standing.

museum display showing Belfast in the early 1900s

fur coat recovered from Titanic

Behind Titanic museum and plaque

Walking around Titanic's former slipway ft. H&W cranes

The section of Belfast's harbor where Titanic set sail

Plenty of ships that didn’t sink had the same companies involved. A visit to Titanic Belfast also gets you access to the SS Nomadic, the last White Star Line ship in existence. Stepping on board is truly a piece of history. Find all things Titanic and nautical in the aptly named Titanic Quarter of Belfast.

The Titanic Quarter also has a couple of nods to "Game of Thrones" in the form of stained glass displays. Northern Ireland was a filming location for the HBO show, but fans should go outside of Belfast to see more. Tours of filming locations often incorporate the amazing scenery of Northern Ireland's Giant's Causeway along the coast. There are plenty of tour companies that can take you to these points of interest (unless you want to drive yourself).

What really stuck out to me about Belfast was that other than on my walking tour, I hardly heard English spoken in an accent other than the distinct Northern Irish one. There also weren't many American chain restaurants, at least not around where I stayed. My hostel was near Queen's University Belfast. I hoped I blended in when I got on a bus filled with what I assumed were college kids from the university, but I'm sure my usual bewildered expression gave me away.

My Troubles tour guide with DC Tours said the fact that Northern Ireland receives tourists just like so many other parts of Ireland shows just how far the region has come. In many ways, you would hardly know that this was a place of such tension just around a quarter century ago. Whether you visit because you’re a "Game of Thrones" fan, a Titanic and Irish pop culture lover like me, or you just want some Guinness, Belfast is very much open for business.

Transportation Tips:

• If you use Translink NI Railways, you can get around Belfast, but also all the way to Derry/Londonderry and Dublin. The Great Victoria Street train station also links up with buses to both of Belfast's airports. Keep your ticket with you until you exit the train station. You may be asked to show it after getting off the train.
• Buy city bus tickets either at bus stop kiosks or simply tap your debit/credit card near the driver's seat on board. Wait for the little lights to all turn green and you're good to go.

PSA: The Troubles are nuanced, complex, and sensitive. If you think I got anything incorrect in this blog post, feel free to let me know so we can all come to a better understanding.