Belfast – the city tour

i went on the bus tour in Belfast – i’d recommend it for the historical value, as well as the opportunity to see Belfast beyond the main city centre.

The main city centre of Belfast, despite its size, is all well and good:

but venture only slightly beyond and you’ll see what Belfast really is like – there’re plots of undeveloped land and derelict buildings, and you’ll find that Belfast is really not a pretty place. it’s a pity, as i think Belfast has potential to develop, but it lacks the financial means and critical mass of people needed to make the city a vibrant, thriving one (for instance, Dublin has a very different atmosphere, in part cos it’s busier).

(the above, by the way, was right next to City Hall)

a friend had previously visited Belfast and i asked her what she thought of it, as the boy considers it a ‘shithole’. Said friend wondered why that was so, as she rather liked it as well as the slower pace of life. While i don’t think Belfast is quite as bad as he makes it out to be, i’m probably more inclined to agree with the boy, as there’s really nothing much to do in Belfast and one doesn’t have to go far to see the less savoury aspects of town. Even Belfast’s city centre isn’t that pretty in comparison to others, and the city gets quite quiet once it gets dark. The boy says that he wouldn’t let me walk around alone after dark – which occurs quite early in winter.

Anyhow, the bus tour – it’s a good opportunity to learn about the conflict between the Unionists (largely Protestant, loyal to the Queen and in favour of being part of the United Kingdom) and the Nationalists (largely Catholic, in favour of joining the Republic of Ireland). The tour takes you to see the murals painted by supporters from both sides.

this is one from the Loyalists:

There’s this whole stretch painted by the Nationalists:

and a commemorative one of one of the martyrs who died of a hunger strike after 66 days:

more commemorative murals:

there’re also the ‘peace lines’, which are essentially walls erected to separate Catholic and Protestant neighbourhoods to reduce the conflict between them. they’re quite depressing, as some come up right next to the back door of people’s houses and have been in place for at least 30 years now:

they’re not very visible here, but in the picture above are people (probably tourists) signing messages on the wall. by the way, belfast apparently is one of the safest city in the world for tourists (i’m a little sceptical of that).

there are also other commemorative murals, both for the World War and for those innocents who had died during the Troubles:

something amusing:

and lastly, the old Belfast court house which had an underground tunnel leading from the jail located directly across the road. an example of derelict land sitting right next to the main city centre: