Belfast
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Belfast Béal Feirste Bilfawst |
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| Pro Tanto Quid Retribuamus "What shall we give in return for so much" |
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| Province: | Ulster | |
| County: | County Antrim | |
| District: | Belfast | |
| UK Parliament: | Belfast North Belfast South Belfast East Belfast West |
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| European Parliament: | Northern Ireland | |
| Dialling Code: | 028, +44 28 | |
| Post Town: | Belfast | |
| Postal District(s): | BT1-BT17, BT29 (part of), BT58 | |
| Area: | 115 km² | |
| Population (2001) | City Proper: 276,459 Belfast Metropolitan Area: 579,276 |
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| Website: www.belfastcity.gov.uk | ||
Belfast (from the Irish: Béal Feirste meaning "Mouth of the sandy ford"[1]) is the capital of Northern Ireland. It is the largest city in Northern Ireland and the province of Ulster, and the second-largest city in all Ireland (after Dublin). In the 2001 census the population within the city limits (the Belfast Urban Area) was 277,391,[2] while 579,276 people lived in the wider Belfast Metropolitan Area.[3]
Belfast is situated on Northern Ireland's eastern coast and straddles the border between County Antrim and County Down. The city is flanked to the north by a series of hills, including Cavehill, which are thought to be inspiration for Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels. He imagined they resembled the shape of a sleeping giant safeguarding the city.[4] Belfast city developed near the mouth of the River Lagan and at the south-western end of the long natural inlet of Belfast Lough, making it an ideal location for the shipbuilding industry that would make it famous. When the Titanic was built in Belfast in 1912, Harland and Wolff had the largest shipyard in the world.[5]
Belfast saw the worst of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. However, since the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, there has been major redevelopment in the city including Victoria Square, the Titanic Quarter and Laganside as well as the new Odyssey complex and the landmark Waterfront Hall. Many of the streets in the city centre are now pedestrian-only. The city is served by two airports: The George Best Belfast City Airport adjacent to Belfast Lough and Belfast International Airport which is near Lough Neagh. Queen's University of Belfast is the main university in Belfast. The University of Ulster also maintains a campus in the city, which concentrates on fine art and design.
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[edit] History
The site of Belfast has been occupied since the Bronze Age. The Giant's Ring, a 5000 year old henge, is located near the city, and the remains of Iron Age hill forts can still be seen in the surrounding hills. It became a substantial settlement in the 17th century after being settled by English and Scottish settlers during the Plantation of Ulster. Belfast blossomed as a commercial and industrial centre in the 18th and 19th centuries and became Ireland's pre-eminent industrial city.
Industries thrived, including linen, rope-making, tobacco, heavy engineering and shipbuilding, and at the end of the nineteenth century, Belfast briefly overtook Dublin as the largest and most industrialised city in Ireland. The Harland and Wolff shipyards became one of the largest shipbuilders in the world, employing up to 35,000 workers.[6]
Belfast has been the capital of Northern Ireland since its creation in 1921 by the Government of Ireland Act. Since it began to emerge as a major city, it has been the scene of much sectarian conflict between its Roman Catholic and Protestant populations. These opposing groups in this conflict are now often termed 'nationalist' and 'unionist' respectively. The most recent example of this known as the Troubles - a civil conflict that raged from c.1969 to the late 1990s.
Belfast was heavily bombed during World War II. In one raid, in 1941, German bombers killed around one thousand people and left tens of thousands more homeless. Outside of London, this was the greatest loss of life in a night raid during the Battle of Britain.[7]
Belfast's industry has suffered serious decline since the 1960s, creating much unemployment in the city. In recent years, large amounts of money have been invested in the city's infrastructure in an effort to stimulate the economy. In February 2006 Belfast's unemployment rate stood at 4.2%, lower than both the Northern Ireland and UK average.[8]
Belfast saw the worst of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. However, the Good Friday Agreement has encouraged international investment and large-scale redevelopment across the city, including Victoria Square, the Cathedral Quarter, the Titanic Quarter and Laganside with the new Odyssey complex and the landmark Waterfront Hall. Many of the streets in the city centre are now pedestrian-only. Queen's University of Belfast, founded in 1845, gives its name to the Queen's Quarter of the city, and is the oldest university in Northern Ireland. The University of Ulster is the largest university in Northern Ireland and operates over four campuses Magee, Coleraine, Belfast and Jordanstown.
Despite bad international publicity over the past few decades, Belfast is now a popular citybreak destination and a 2003 quality of life survey found Belfast residents to be the most contented city-dwellers in the UK.[9] However, as with other areas of Northern Ireland, Belfast continues to have significant problems with crime. For example in 2003 the amount extorted from the public and businesses by paramilitary racketeering was estimated at £125,000,000 per year.[10]
[edit] Etymology and motto
Belfast, the English version of the city's name, derives from the Irish Béal Feirste, meaning "mouth of the sandy ford".[1] This refers to the sandbank which formed at the confluence of the River Farset and the River Lagan where the city developed.[11]. The Farset, superseded by the Lagan as the more important river, now languishes in obscurity, under the High Street. Likewise, Bridge Street indicates the original location of a bridge across the Farset.[12]
The City of Belfast has the Latin motto "Pro tanto quid retribuamus". This can be translated as "What shall we give in return for so much" (literally "Having received so much, what return shall we make") and is taken from Psalm 116 Verse 12 in the Latin Vulgate Bible. It is from the first three words of the motto that Queen's Univeristy Student's Union Rag Week publication PTQ derives it's name. The city's coat of arms shows central shield, bearing a ship and a bell, flanked by a chained wolf (or wolfhound) on the left and a seahorse on the right. A smaller seahorse sits at the top. This crest dates back to 1613, when King James I first granted Belfast town status. The seal was used by Belfast merchants throughout the seventeenth century on their signs and trade-coins.[13] The seal is displayed in a large stained glass window in the City Hall, where an explanation suggests that the sea horse and the ship refer to Belfast maritime importance. The wolf may be a tribute to the city's founder, Sir Arthur Chichester, and refer to his own coat of arms.[13]
- See also: The Troubles and Belfast Blitz
[edit] Areas and districts
As with many cities, much of what is now called Greater Belfast existed as separate towns and villages before the city's expansion. Including the City Centre the city can be divided into five obvious areas: North Belfast, East Belfast, South Belfast, and West Belfast, each of which is a parliamentary constituency.
Belfast City Centre is divided by two postcodes, BT1 for the area lying north of the City Hall, and BT2 for the area south of the City Hall. The industrial estate and docklands share BT3. The rest of the Greater Belfast area postcodes are set out in a clockwise system, with BT4 being to the under-right of BT3, and BT5 being right of BT4, with BT6 being to the under-left of BT5, etc. Although BT stands for Belfast, it is used across the whole of Northern Ireland.
Since 2001, boosted by increasing numbers of tourists, the city has also developed a number of cultural "quarters". These are:
- The Titanic Quarter is 75 hectares of reclaimed land beside Belfast city harbour, formerly called Queen's Island, where the Titanic was built. Work has begun promising to transform the former shipyard into 'one of the largest waterfront developments in Europe'. Plans also include new apartments, a riverside entertainment district, and a major Titanic-themed museum.[14]
- The Queens Quarter in South Belfast is named after Queens University. The area has a large student population and hosts the annual Belfast Festival at Queen’s each autumn. Also contains Botanic Gardens and the Ulster Museum, which is closed for refurbishment until 2009.[15] The Golden Mile is the name given to the mile between Belfast City Hall and Queen's University. Taking in Gt. Victoria St, Shaftesbury Square and Bradbury Place, it contains some of the best bars and restaurants in the city. The Lisburn Road has developed into the city's most exclusive shopping strip.[16][17]
- The Cathedral Quarter takes its name from St. Anne’s Cathedral and has taken on the mantle of the city's key cultural locality. It boasts a yearly visual and performing arts festival. Custom House Square is one of the city's main outdoor venues for free concerts and street entertainment.
- The Gaeltacht Quarter is largely promoted by West Belfast's Falls Road to encourage the use of the Irish language in its shops and services.
[edit] Parks and gardens
Belfast has over forty public parks. The Forest of Belfast, which was set up in 1992, is a partnership between government and local groups to manage and conserve these local parks and open spaces. They have also commissioned more than 30 public sculptures since 1993.[18] The City Council has also set aside £8 million to continue this work.[19] The Belfast Naturalists' Field Club was founded in 1863 and is administered by National Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland.[20]
Built in the 1830s and designed by Sir Charles Lanyon, The Palm House in Belfast's Botanic Gardens is one of the earliest examples of a curvilinear and cast iron glasshouse.[21] The garden's Tropical Ravine with a humid jungle glen was built in 1889.[22] Other attractions include rose gardens and various events staged in the Gardens ranging from pop concerts (U2 played here in 1997) to live opera broadcasts in the summer. The Tennents ViTal festival takes place in the gardens each summer.
Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park attracts thousands of visitors each year to its International Rose Garden.[23] Lying to the south of the city centre, it has an area of 128 acres of meadows, woodland and gardens. Rose Week in July each year boasts over 20,000 blooms.[24] Other attractions include a Princess Diana Memorial Garden, the Japanese Garden, a walled garden, and the Golden Crown Fountain commissioned in 2002 as part of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee celebrations.[23]
[edit] Demographics
This growth slowed and peaked with the 1971 census showing almost 600,000 people in Belfast's Urban Area.[25] Since that time the inner city numbers have dropped as the Greater Belfast suburb population has grown. As with many cities, Belfast's inner city is currently characterised by the elderly, students and single young people, while families tend to live on the periphery. Socio-economic areas radiate out from the Central Business District, with a pronounced wedge of affluence extending out the Malone Road to the south.[25] An area of greater deprivation extends to the west of the city. In fact the areas around the Falls and Shankill Roads are the most deprived wards in Northern Ireland.[26] In February 2006, Belfast's unemployment rate stood at 4.2%, lower than the rest of Northern Ireland[27] and lower than the national UK average of 5.4%.[28] In 2001 Belfast had the lowest owner occupation rate in Northern Ireland at 54%.[29]
In the 2001 UK Census, the NISRA counted 277,391 people living in Belfast Urban Area.[2] This census also showed:
- 21.7% were aged under 16 years and 19.7% were aged 60 and over
- 46.8% of the population were male and 53.2% were female
- 47.2% were from a Catholic background and 48.6% were from a Protestant background
Despite a period of relative peace, most areas and districts of Belfast still reflect the divided nature of Northern Ireland as a whole. Many areas are still highly segregated along ethnic and religious lines, especially in working class neighbourhoods.[30] These divisions, either ‘Protestant’ or ‘Catholic’, are invariably marked by flags, graffiti and murals. This segregation has been present since the birth of the city but has been maintained and increased as a direct result of violence. The highest levels of segregation are in West Belfast with many areas greater than 90% Catholic. Opposite but comparatively high levels are seen in the predominantly Protestant east of the city.[31]
Through the history of Belfast, segregation has only increased with each new outbreak of violence in a "rachet effect", showing little decrease during times of peace.[32] When violence flares, it tends to be in interface areas.
There have been ethnic minority communities living in Belfast since the 1930s. The largest immigrant groups are Chinese and Irish travellers. However numbers have recently been boosted by a large influx of Eastern European immigrants. Census figures (2001) showed that Belfast has a total ethnic minority population of 4,584 or 1.3% of the population. Over half of these live in South Belfast with numbers reaching 2.63% of the population.[33] There are an estimated 5000 Muslims[34] and 3000 Hindus[35] living in Northern Ireland. The majority of these live and work in the Greater Belfast area.
[edit] Culture
Hilary McGrady, Chief Executive of Imagine Belfast, claimed that "Belfast has begun a social, economic and cultural transformation that has the potential to reverberate across Europe."[36] Belfast is evenly split between its Catholic and Protestant populations and these two distinct vibrant cultural communities have both made their own contributions to the city's culture. Throughout the Troubles, Belfast continued to express itself through art and music. Today, it has a growing international cultural reputation as both communities move into the future and prove the relevance of art in education and healthcare environments as well as using it to heal the divisions of the past and promote social growth for the future.[37]
For over two hundred years, Belfast has been a cultural and academic centre giving it the nickname the "Athens of Ireland".[38] In fact in 1841, J. Stirling Coyne wrote about Belfast: "so celebrated has this town become for its patronage and love of learning, that it has acquired the proud title of the modern Athens."[39]
In 2003, Belfast had a unsuccessful bid for the 2008 European Capital of Culture. The bid was run by an Imagine Belfast and boasted that it would "make Belfast the meeting place of Europe's legends where the meaning of history and belief find a home and a sanctuary from caricature, parody and oblivion."[40] Belfast's bid was based on three main themes: "Through the eyes of a Child", "Made in Belfast", and "To live without walls". These themes of unity and peace and creating a better city for our children became the core of the bid. Ultimately the bid may have been wrecked by the city's history and volatile politics.[41]
Imagine Belfast spent £1.2 million of public money and £100,000 of private funding in developing their bid.[42] However, Belfast City Council insist this money was not wasted. The legacy of the failed bid was a new Culture and Arts Plan 2003-2006 to take forward the spirit of the bid. The Chief Executive of Belfast City Council described the bid as "a catalytic event leading to a step change in the development of arts and culture in the city".[42] Indeed, the statistics show this to be true. In 2004-05, culture and arts events in Belfast were attended by 1.8 million people (400,000 more than the previous year). The same year, 80,000 people participated in culture and arts activities, twice as many as in 2003-04.[43]
As Belfast becomes more prosperous and its citizens have more disposable income, culture and the arts are becoming economically important to the city. Belfast City Council has promoted culture with the goals of encouraging creativity, bringing communities together to facilitate reconciliation, and creating new jobs. In 2004-05 culture and arts initiatives created the equivalent of 413 full time jobs (37% more than the previous year).[43]
A combination of relative peace, international investment and an active promotion of arts and culture is attracting more tourists to Belfast than ever before. 5.9 million people visited Belfast in 2004-05 (up 10% from the previous year) and spent £262.5 million.[43]
The Ulster Orchestra is Northern Ireland's only full-time symphony orchestra and one of the major orchestras in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1966, it has existed in its present form since 1981, when the BBC Northern Ireland Orchestra was disbanded.[44]
[edit] Attractions and points of interest
The City Hall, dating from 1906, Queen's University of Belfast (1849), and other Victorian and Edwardian buildings display a large number of sculptures. Among the grandest buildings are two former banks: Ulster Bank (1860), in Waring Street and Northern Bank (1769), in nearby Donegall Street. Also notable is the Linen Hall Library (1788), in Donegall Square North. Architect Charles Lanyon is responsible for many of the city's Victorian buildings. Some of Belfast's oldest buildings still remain in the Cathedral Quarter area, which is currently undergoing redevelopment as the city's main cultural and tourist area.
The world's largest dry dock is located in the city,[45] and the giant cranes (Samson and Goliath) of the Harland and Wolff shipyard, builders of the Titanic, can be seen from afar. Other long-gone industries included Irish linen and rope-making.
Sections of the city contain numerous sectarian murals, reflecting the political and religious allegiances of the communities living there. Areas such as the Shankill Road contain murals that are almost entirely Protestant, depicting republican violence, loyalty to the British Crown, the Ulster Volunteer Force and Ulster Defence Association. Conversely, murals in areas such as the Falls Road, which is almost entirely Roman Catholic, feature political themes such as a united Ireland and the Provisional Irish Republican Army, as well as traditional folklore and the Irish language. The Gaelic folk hero Cúchulainn has appeared on both republican and loyalist murals, representing the heroic Celtic past for the former and legendary battles between Ulster and the other provinces for the latter. In recent years some paramilitary murals have been replaced, in both loyalist and republican areas, with less controversial images. These include murals to the writer C. S. Lewis and the late Belfast footballer George Best.[46]
The four star Europa Hotel, located in the City Centre, was bombed twenty-seven times during the troubles and is among one of the most bombed hotels in Europe[47]
The ornately decorated Crown Liquor Saloon in Great Victoria Street is notable as being the only bar owned by the National Trust. It was made internationally famous as the setting for the classic film, Odd Man Out, starring James Mason.[48]
The Royal Courts of Justice in Chichester Street is home to Northern Ireland's Supreme Court.
Belfast also contains the tallest building (as distinct from structure) on the island of Ireland. Windsor House stands at 80 metres (262 ft) and has twenty-three floors. Once completed, the Obel Tower will surpass Windsor House, although a taller building than this has been given planning permission in Dublin. In January 2007 plans were submitted to build the Aurora Tower on Great Victoria Street, which will be 37 storeys high. At 109m (358 ft) high it will house 290 luxury apartments and be 28m (92 ft) higher than the Obel Tower.[49]
The Albert Clock stands at the end of High Street, and was built in memory of Queen Victoria's Prince Consort, Prince Albert. The Ormeau Baths Gallery on Ormeau Avenue is one of Ireland's premier contemporary art spaces. Belfast Zoo is located in the north of the City, on the slopes of Cavehill. Founded in 1833 by Bishop Crolly, St. Malachy's College is one of Ireland's oldest Roman Catholic grammar schools.
St George's Market, built between 1890 and 1896, is Belfast's last surviving Victorian covered market. It was restored at a cost of £4.5 million in 1997, and hosts regular Friday and Saturday markets. Near the Market is Saint Malachy's Church, Belfast. Built between 1841 and 1844, it is built in the Tudor Revival style and is unique in Ireland. It is also one of only two buildings remaining in Belfast which was constructed with hand-made bricks.
Belfast City Cemetery contains the graves of many notable Belfast residents including Viscount Pirrie and Sir Edward Harland.
 The Lagan Weir |
[edit] Media
Belfast is the home of the News Letter, the oldest English language newspaper in the world still in publication.[50][51] Other main newspapers include the Irish News and Belfast Telegraph. There is also an Irish language daily newspaper called Lá (from the Irish: Lá meaning "Day"). The current affairs magazine Fortnight (published, ironically, on a monthly basis) offers commentary from a left of centre but non-party-political stance.
The city is also the headquarters of BBC Northern Ireland, the ITV station UTV and the commercial radio stations Belfast CityBeat and U105. There are two independent cinemas in Belfast, the Queen's Film Theatre and the Strand Cinema, which host screenings during the Belfast Film Festival and the Belfast Festival at Queen's.
[edit] Sports
Watching and playing sports is an important part of Northern Irish culture. Almost six out of ten of the adult population (59%) participate in one or more sports.[52] Belfast has several notable sports teams playing sports as diverse as football and rugby, traditional Irish Gaelic games, and North American sports such as American football and ice hockey. In addition, the Belfast Marathon is run annually on May Day, attracting almost 14,000 participants in 2006.[53]
Belfast was the hometown of the renowned footballer George Best who died in November 2005. On the day he was buried in the city, 100,000 people lined the route from his home on the Cregagh Road to Roselawn cemetery. Since his death the City Airport has been named after him and a trust has been set up to fund a memorial to him in the city centre.[54] Professional snooker player Alex "Hurricane" Higgins was also born in Belfast.
The 2005-06 Irish League football champions Linfield are based at Windsor Park in the south of the city, as is the Northern Ireland national football team. Other Premier League football teams include Glentoran based in east Belfast, Cliftonville and Crusaders in north Belfast and Donegal Celtic in west Belfast. Casement Park, with a capacity of 32,000 making it the second largest Gaelic Athletic Association ground in Ulster, is located in west Belfast and is home to the Antrim gaelic football and hurling teams.
2005–06 Celtic League champions and former European Rugby Union champions Ulster play at Ravenhill in South Belfast.
Belfast is represented in the Elite Ice Hockey League by the Belfast Giants. The Belfast Giants were recently crowned the 2005/2006 Elite League Champions, in a season which saw ex-NHL star Theo Fleury play for the team.[55] Home matches are played at the Odyssey Arena.
The Belfast Bulls and Belfast Trojans American football teams represent Belfast in the IAFL, competing for the Shamrock Bowl.
[edit] Economy
Since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, there has been sustained economic growth in the city, with a marked increase in investment. The largest and most noticeable is the property market: house prices have risen all over the province. Many companies and investors have contributed to the growth of the economy, especially in the city centre. As of 2007, there are two major developments in progress, one which will see the regeneration of the Titanic Quarter (currently in phase two), and the erection of a skyscraper, the Obel Tower which is set to be the tallest tower on the island until the erection of the U2 Tower in Dublin.[56]
As a whole, house prices in Northern Ireland have risen by almost a third in the second quarter of 2006.[57] At the beginning of 2005, Northern Ireland was the cheapest region of the UK in which to buy a house, with prices at 72 per cent of the national average. This has since risen to 89 per cent. Prices are higher than in North Yorkshire, Humberside and Wales.[58] The average house price in March 2007 was £192,000, with the average in south Belfast being £241,000.[59]
[edit] Government and politics
Belfast was granted borough status by James I in 1613 and official city status by Queen Victoria in 1888.[60] In 1971 it became a local government district under local administration by Belfast City Council.[61] Belfast is represented in both the British House of Commons and in the Northern Ireland Assembly. For elections to the European Parliament, Belfast is within the Northern Ireland constituency.
[edit] Local government
The city of Belfast has a mayoral form of municipal government. The City's elected officials are the Lord Mayor, Deputy Lord Mayor, High Sheriff and fifty one councillors. The first Lord Mayor of Belfast was Daniel Dixon, who was elected in 1892.[62] As of 2007, the Lord Mayor of Belfast is Patrick McCarthy (SDLP) who is serving his first term. He will remain in office, until a successor is elected at the Annual Meeting of Council in June 2007. As mayor of Belfast, his duties include presiding over meetings of the council, receiving distinguished visitors to the city, and representing and promoting the city on the national and international stage.[62]
In 1997, Unionists lost control of Belfast City Council for the first time in its history, with the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland gaining the balance of power between Nationalists and Unionists. This position was confirmed in the council elections of 2001 and 2005. Since then it has had three Nationalist mayors, two from the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) and one from Sinn Féin.
In the 2005 local government elections, the voters of Belfast elected fifty-one councillors to Belfast City Council from the following political parties: 15 Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), 14 Sinn Féin, 8 SDLP, 7 Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), 4 Alliance Party, 2 Progressive Unionist Party (PUP), and 1 Independent.[63]
[edit] Northern Ireland Assembly and Westminster
As Northern Ireland's capital city, Belfast is host to the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont, the site of home rule legislature in Northern Ireland. It has four UK parliamentary and Assembly constituencies - North Belfast, West Belfast, South Belfast and East Belfast. All four extend somewhat beyond the city boundaries into parts of Castlereagh, Lisburn and Newtownabbey districts. In the Northern Ireland Assembly Elections in 2007, Belfast elected 8 Sinn Féin, 4 SDLP, 6 DUP, 3 UUP, 1 PUP, and 1 Alliance MLAs (members of the Northern Ireland Assembly).[64] In the 2005 general election, they elected 2 DUP MPs, 1 SDLP MP, and 1 Sinn Féin MP to parliament at Westminster.[65]
In 2006, the local government boundary commission published proposals to extend Belfast into the neighbouring districts of Castlereagh and Lisburn, as well as adding a small part of North Down. The proposed extension mostly comprises the communities of Poleglass, Twinbrook, Dunmurry, Lagmore, Belvoir, Cregagh, Braniel, Gilnahirk and Tullycarnet. However some have suggested extending the council further into Castlereagh and Newtownabbey councils and these proposals have recently been discussed at a local enquiry.[66]
[edit] Transportation
Belfast is, by European standards, a relatively car-dependent city, with an extensive road network including the ten lane M2 motorway.
Most public transport in Northern Ireland is operated by the subsidiaries of Translink. Bus services in the city proper and the nearer suburbs are operated by Translink Metro, with services focusing on linking residential districts with the City Centre on twelve quality bus corridors running along main radial roads, resulting in poor connections between different suburban areas. More distant suburbs are served by Ulsterbus.
Black taxis are common in the city, operating on a share basis in some areas. However these are outnumbered by private hire minicabs.
Northern Ireland Railways provides suburban services along three lines running through Belfast’s northern suburbs to Carrickfergus and Larne, eastwards towards Bangor and south-westwards towards Lisburn and Portadown. This service is known as the Belfast Suburban Rail system.
Important rail stations in Belfast are: Belfast Central, Great Victoria Street, Botanic, City Hospital and Yorkgate.
The most significant road scheme in Belfast for some years began early in 2006, with the conversion of two junctions along the Westlink dual carriageway from at grade to grade separated standard. The Westlink, a dual carriageway skirting the western edge of the City Centre, connects all three Belfast motorways and has suffered from chronic congestion for some years. Work is likely to finish in 2009 although some commentators have argued that this may simply create a new bottleneck at the at-grade York Street intersection until that too is converted to a fully free-flowing grade separated junction, currently scheduled to take place between 2011 and 2016.[67]
The Lagan and Lough Cycle Way, part of the National Cycle Network, runs through the city centre along the Laganside promenade and linking north to Jordanstown through the docks and along the lough shore and south-west to Lisburn along the Lagan towpath.
The city has two airports: The George Best Belfast City Airport adjacent to Belfast Lough and Belfast International Airport which is near Lough Neagh. The International Airport offers domestic, European and transatlantic flights. The City Airport is much closer to the city centre, however it is considerably smaller and serves domestic flights and limited European destinations.
As well as the airports, Belfast also has a large port, of which is used by both export of goods and passenger ferry services. Stena Line run regular services to Stranraer in Scotland using their HSS (High Speed Service) vessel (with a crossing time of around 90 minutes) and/or their conventional vessel with a crossing time of around 3hrs 45 minutes. Norfolkline (formally Norse Merchant Ferries) run a passenger/cargo ferry to a from Liverpool, with a crossing time of 8 hours and a seasonal sailing to Douglas, Isle of Man is operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet company (formally SeaCat).
In January 2007, it was revealed that a feasibility study is being carried out, to construct a light rail system in the city, initially along two routes, eventually along four. It has been compared to Luas, the tram system in Dublin.[68][69]
These Proposals include:
- EWAY - East of city and Dundonald
- WWAY - West of city
- CITI - Titanic Quarter and George Best Belfast City Airport
- SupeRoute - South of City
[edit] Sister cities
Belfast has one sister city with:[70]
[edit] See also
- Greater Belfast
- Belfast Metropolitan Area
- Belfast Peace Lines
- Belfast blitz
- Notable Belfast People
- Ulster Museum
[edit] Further reading
- Beesley, S. and Wilde, J. Urban Flora of Belfast Institute of Irish Studies & The Queens University of Belfast. 1997
- Deane, C.Douglas. 1983. The Ulster Countryside." Century Books
[edit] External links
- Belfast City Council
- Go To Belfast - Tourism
- Belfast travel guide from Wikitravel
- Architecture of Belfast
- Photography of Belfast
- Information About Belfast
Subdivisions created by the Local Government (Boundaries) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971
Antrim • Ards • Armagh • Ballymena • Ballymoney • Banbridge • Belfast • Carrickfergus • Castlereagh • Coleraine • Cookstown • Craigavon • Derry • Down • Dungannon and South Tyrone • Fermanagh • Larne • Limavady • Lisburn • Magherafelt • Moyle • Newry and Mourne • Newtownabbey • North Down • Omagh • Strabane
Places with city status in the United Kingdom  |
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Bath • Birmingham • Bradford • Brighton & Hove • Bristol • Cambridge • Canterbury • Carlisle • Chester • Chichester • Coventry • Derby • Durham • Ely • Exeter • Gloucester • Hereford • Kingston upon Hull • Lancaster • Leeds • Leicester • Lichfield • Lincoln • Liverpool • London (City of London and Westminster) • Manchester • Newcastle upon Tyne • Norwich • Nottingham • Oxford • Peterborough • Plymouth • Portsmouth • Preston • Ripon • Saint Albans • Salford • Salisbury • Sheffield • Southampton • Stoke-on-Trent • Sunderland • Truro • Wakefield • Wells • Winchester • Wolverhampton • Worcester • York Bangor • Cardiff • Newport • St David's • Swansea |
