Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom (2022)

Clifton House, Belfast, Northern Ireland’s original Poor House, is an attractive and regal building at the upper end of Donegall Street, known as the “street of spendthrift”, because it begins at a bank and finishes at the Poor House

“Belfast: Home of the Titanic.  It’s got natural beauty.  It’s got tons of history.  And it’s got super-friendly locals who know how to have a good time.  No wonder Belfast is one of the hottest destinations in Europe to visit.  Quick to charm and packed with brilliant attractions, including the world-class Titanic Belfast, this is a city that’s bursting with creativity.  You’ll see it in the boundary-pushing art galleries of the Cathedral Quarter, in the super-cool pop-up restaurants that spring up around the city, and in the bustle of St George’s Market, where artisan food producers rub shoulders with craftspeople (Fri-Sun).  Dig a little deeper, and you’ll uncover the layers of history that make Belfast such a compelling place, from its Bronze Age origins to its prosperous shipbuilding past.” — www.ireland.com/en-us/destinations/experiences/belfast/

For additional perspective, see our blog post “Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom”, published on August 13, 2019.

Near the Clifton house on Donegall Street is St. Patrick’s Church, built from 1874 to 1877, with a rich, red sandstone exterior, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

The interior of St. Patrick’s Church, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, features an excellent triptych by the renowned Belfast painter, Sir John Lavery

The Bank of Ireland’s old building was designed to copy the exterior design of the Empire State Building in New York City, NY, USA; Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

An historic building in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom; by law, the historic buildings must have their exteriors preserved

Street art in the historic Belfast Square Area (consisting of 3 streets) that dates back to the 1600s, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Kelly’s Cellars on Bank Street is one of the oldest pubs in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, dating back to 1720; the pub is where the United Irishmen began a long fight for independence from Great Britain

Street art (sculpture) in the neighborhood in front of the Victoria Square shopping and leisure complex (in the background) that opened in 2008, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

There’s been much new construction in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, resulting in a mix of architectures adjacent to each other downtown

One of the very popular night spot lanes in downtown Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

St. Anne’s Cathedral, also known as Belfast Cathedral, is a Church of Ireland cathedral in Donegall Street — it is the focal point of Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter; Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Inside St. Anne’s Cathedral, visitors inside the Romanesque building admire its huge stained-glass windows depicting Old Testament figures, and the Titanic Pall, a striking, handcrafted memorial; Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Legal Notices: All photographs copyright © 2022 by Richard C. Edwards.  All Rights Reserved Worldwide.  Permission to link to this blog post is granted for educational and non-commercial purposes only.

Bangor, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Bangor Marina is the main highlight in this scenic seaside resort town of 60,000 (named a city this year by Queen Elizabeth on her Platinum [70th Anniversary] Jubilee), on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland in County Down, United Kingdom

Famed for its natural wonders, Northern Ireland has some of the most beautiful towns in Europe, Bangor being one of them.  This northeastern seaside resort town, in County Down, features well-kept parks, scenic promenades, excellent restaurants, lifestyle boutiques, and historical landmarks.  We had a chance to walk along the Bangor Marina, on the southern side of the mouth of Belfast Lough, and on the coastal path.  Besides being a resort town, many local citizens commute for work to Belfast.  It’s only a 30-minute drive (15 miles [24 kilometers]) to Belfast, Northern Ireland’s major city and capital, on the banks of the River Lagan.

Homes and apartments line the quay along the Bangor Marina and the coastal path on the southern side of the mouth of Belfast Lough, Bangor, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Stately homes overlooking the Bangor Marina, Bangor, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Our ship anchored just off the Bangor Marina in Belfast Lough, Bangor, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Duck pedal swan boats, enjoyed by many families, especially their young children, in Pickie Fun Park, cross from the Bangor Marina, Bangor, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

One of two side-by-side pubs serving classic pub fare for lunch in Bangor, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

We chose to eat lunch on the garden patio of Jenny Watts, a pub established in 1780 in Bangor, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Legal Notices: All photographs copyright © 2022 by Richard C. Edwards.  All Rights Reserved Worldwide.  Permission to link to this blog post is granted for educational and non-commercial purposes only.

Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, Hillsborough, County Down, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Hillsborough Castle, a Georgian mansion dating back to the 1750s, has been a grand family home and is now the official home of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and a royal residence, Hillsborough, County Down, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

 

Hillsborough Castle, an elegant “Irish Big House”, was built by Willis Hill, the 1^st Marquis of Downshire, in the 1750s.  The Georgian mansion has been a grand family home and is now the official home of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and a royal residence.  Her Majesty The Queen stays at Hillsborough, as do other members of the Royal Family when visiting Northern Ireland.  Viewed by some as a politically neutral venue, Hillsborough has played an important role in the Peace Process in Northern Ireland since the 1980s.  In 2014, Historic Royal Palaces (of the U.K.) took over the running of Hillsborough Castle and Gardens and began an ambitious project to restore the house and gardens to its former glory.  Following a five-year, 20 million British pound restoration, the palace and its exceptional gardens were officially reopened by the Prince of Wales (Prince Charles) and the Duchess of Cornwall (Camilla), in April of this year.

 

The State Entrance Hall has always been the entrance to the mansion and a space in which to welcome visitors from HM The Queen to pop star Gary Barlow; the portraits in the Hall portray all the main protagonists involved in the history of the house, including Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire; Hillsborough Castle, Hillsborough, County Down, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

 

Paintings in an Irish ‘Big House’, as these aristocratic private homes were known, were usually created by minor jobbing artists.  These painters travelled around the country to paint for wealthy clients.  However, it is known that Hillsborough originally displayed work by one prominent artist, George Romney (1734-1802).  The house inventories going back as far as 1747 reveal that family portraits hung in the Dining Room, as was traditional.  Satirists were also popular, and these early inventories showed that the family owned many prints by William Hogarth.

 

The display of art at Hillsborough Castle was selected to represent both the history and the contemporary use of the house as a royal and government residence, drawing from several sources, including The Royal Collection, The Schorr Collection and collections featuring contemporary Irish artists; Hillsborough Castle, Hillsborough, County Down, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

 

Over the years, numerous politicians and other dignitaries have spent time at Hillsborough Castle, from Eleanor Roosevelt, Japan’s Crown Prince, and the Dali Lama to Princess Diana, President George W. Bush, Prime Minister Tony Blain, and Hillary Clinton.

 

The Throne Room, a splendid space that is the ceremonial heart of the castle, was created in the early 19th century as a Saloon and was the picture gallery of the house; traditionally, that was where the Downshire family, like other aristocrats, would hang their most prized ‘history’ paintings, featuring stories from the Bible, mythology and ancient history, to reflect an aristocratic classical education; Hillsborough Castle, Hillsborough, County Down, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

 

In the Red Room the paintings appear as a “cabinet hang”, typical of the type where many small, highly-decorative paintings are densely displayed – a cabinet was usually a private room in which intimate discussion took place; Hillsborough Castle, Hillsborough, County Down, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

 

During the 1980s and 1990s, many of the delicate negotiations of the Peace Process were held in the Red Room of Hillsborough Castle.  It was in the Red Room that HM The Queen met Irish President Mary McAleese in 2005, for what was described at the time as “a historic event”.

 

Around the chair rail in the Red Room are a series of numbered miniature painted portraits of English Royalty; this photograph captured #24, King Charles II; #23, Queen Catherine of England, wife of Charles II; #26, King James II; and #25, Ann Hyde (Duchess of York), wife of James II; Hillsborough Castle, Hillsborough, County Down, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

 

Around the Red Room at Hillsborough Castle are 40 miniature portraits of English sovereigns, and several of their consorts, which span the walls.  Prince Albert commissioned this collection, named the Bone Miniatures, in 1843.  Albert and Queen Victoria used to place the portraits on the floor to test each other’s knowledge of the family tree.  The collection is named after its creators, Henry Bone and his son Henry Pierce Bone.

 

One hallway in Hillsborough Castle was filled with satirical cartoons from the 19th century publications; pictured here is: St. Stephens Review Presentation Cartoon (Tom Merry) June 23rd, 1888. GEOGRAPHY BEWITCHED: The false Ireland & the True. Erin strangling the hag of Hawarden. Ireland strangles Home Rule advocate GLADSTONE, who is presented as the ‘hag’ of Hawarden Castle, his Flintshire home. The beautiful, youthful ERIN tries to stifle his manipulation of true Ireland

 

 

A second satirical cartoon caught our attention: Supplement given away with the WEEKLY FREEMAN 22nd May 1886 SUSPENSE!!! ERIN, the personification of IRELAND, stands outside the door of the House of Commons as MPs debate the fate of the first Home Rule Bill

 

The formal and picturesque gardens at Hillsborough Castle cover 100 acres, including the newly restored Walled Garden that we walked to on the edge of the estate; Hillsborough Castle, Hillsborough, County Down, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

 

A view of the Castle from the gardens, including a beautiful fountain in the formal garden; Hillsborough Castle, Hillsborough, County Down, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

 

The entry and exit gate at Hillsborough Castle, Hillsborough, County Down, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

 

Legal Notices: All photographs copyright © 2019 by Richard C. Edwards. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.  Permission to link to this blog post is granted for educational and non-commercial purposes only.

 

Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Belfast City Hall is the civic building of Belfast City Council located in Donegall Square, Belfast, Northern Ireland United Kingdom — facing North and effectively dividing the commercial and business areas of the city center

 

“The yellow gantry cranes of Harland & Wolff, the company behind Belfast’s shipbuilding industry and the creation of the Titanic, rise high above the River Lagan and can be seen from nearly everywhere in the city center, a reminder of the working class that built Belfast. As the capital of Northern Ireland — increasingly known for its new restaurants and stimulating galleries — turns its Troubles into tourism, it is fast coming into its own as a European hot spot.  Though HBO’s “Game of Thrones” — parts of which were filmed in local studios and nearby areas — deserves credit for helping to put Belfast on the map as a destination, much of the city’s appeal is its warm residents, who are unfailingly ready to share a joke.  So build some time into your visit to sink a pint or a cup of third-wave coffee and engage in some impromptu local conversation.” – The New York Times, “36 Hours in Belfast”, Sunday Travel section, August 4, 2019

 

On the east side of Belfast City Hall is a memorial to the passengers and crew of the Titanic (built and launched in 1912 in Belfast), Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

 

Downtown Belfast, near City Hall and Donegall Square, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

 

There is much construction in Belfast, with downtown now having a mix of old and new architectural styles, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

 

The Crown Liquor Saloon (Bar), a famous 1820’s pub in Belfast, is an outstanding example of a Victorian gin palace, and one of Northern Ireland’s best-known pubs

 

A wall painting advertising the fish and chips at Manny’s in downtown Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

 

We had an excellent luncheon at Mourne Seafood Bar in the redeveloped and now hip Bank Square historic area of downtown Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

 

St Anne’s Cathedral, also known as Belfast Cathedral, is a Protestant Cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Donegall Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom; note the Celtic cross

 

Queen’s University Belfast’s main building was built in the Tudor-style; the university is known for its humanities, science and medicine programs, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

 

Harland & Wolff, the major shipbuilder in Belfast (builder of the Titanic), has two massive yellow gantry cranes, Samson and Goliath, that dominate the Belfast skyline, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

A view of Titanic City, home of the Titanic Belfast (the silver modern building) that offers “The Titanic Experience” to visitors, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

 

“Titanic City: These days the Titanic is so closely connected to Belfast’s identity that there is a whole neighbourhood named after the ill-fated liner: the shipyards where Titanic was constructed are now part of the Titanic Quarter. At its centre is the stunning, star-shaped edifice of Titanic Belfast, a state-of-the-art multimedia museum that has become the city’s number-one tourist draw. Around it are several other sites with links to the Titanic, and the former drawing offices of the Harland & Wolff shipping company are now part of the Titanic Hotel. No visitor to Belfast leaves without learning something about that ship.” — http://www.lonelyplanet.com/ireland/northern-ireland/belfast

 

The Titanic Belfast offers “The Titanic Experience” to visitors, an immersive museum-like journey through time from Boomtown Belfast at the end of the 19th century through the construction of the Titanic, its launch in 1912, its sinking on its maiden voyage and the aftermath; Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

 

On the left, the tall tower is the Obel Tower, the tallest building in Belfast and Ireland, part of a modernized section of the city’s shoreline of the River Lagan, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

 

Legal Notices: All photographs copyright © 2019 by Richard C. Edwards. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.  Permission to link to this blog post is granted for educational and non-commercial purposes only.