Dunluce Castle
The castle Castle which is today in ruins at Dunluce was a stronghold of the MacDonnell Clan, who were a branch of the Scottish Clan Donald, and the site of many a fierce battle though it was mother nature who eventually forced the clan to abandon the castle when part of it was blown in to the sea in a storm. The area was popular long before the MacDonnells came, however, with evidence of settlements during early Christian and Viking times and the first castle on the rocky outcrop dating back to the 13th century.
Grand Opera House
Opened in 1895, the Grand Opera House is Northern Ireland’s oldest theatre and has been praised for its “oriental” design, its interior features the majestic Victorian main auditorium designed by renowned architect Frank Matcham. At the start of the Troubles, in the early 1970s it was destined to be demolished and replaced with an office block but was saved by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and has been adapted as a modern theatre as well as a venue for conferences. Because of its central location on Great Victoria Street, its cafés and restaurants have proved very popular and it continues to provide a wide range of theatre events throughout the year.
Lisburn Linen Museum
The linen industry was one of the mainstays of the economy in Northern Ireland from the 18th century until its demise in the 20th century. This museum covers the history of linen manufacture from the introduction of flax in the 18th century, through the process of turning flax into linen yarn and the spinning and weaving industries, to exhibitions of the finished product, Irish linen, which won worldwide acclaim. Guided tours are available throughout the year.
Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich
An Chultúrlann, on the Falls Road, was established in 1991 and has gone from strength to strength since then. It is now the hub of the vibrant “Gaeltacht Quarter” and is central to the cultural life of the Irish-speaking community in the west of the city. The building, a converted Presbyterian church, now houses a restaurant, a bookshop, a theatre, an exhibition gallery, a radio station and offices for a lifestyle magazine and a television production company. It also hosts plays, language classes and musical events. It has been to the forefront of the development of facilities for Irish speakers throughout Belfast. Indeed, many would argue that, without the pioneering work done by An Chultúrlann in its early years, such facilities would not exist at all in Belfast.
Mural Tours of Belfast
Since the end of the conflict in Belfast, an unforeseen by-product has been the growth in the numbers of people who visit the areas most affected by “The Troubles” in the West of the city. Paramilitary murals from both sides of the political divide in Northern Ireland are now a tourist attraction instead of being a call to arms for the communities involved in the conflict. There are a number of companies providing this service, ranging from an open-top bus to a fleet of black taxis whose drivers are all knowledgeable about the background and meaning of the various murals.
Stormont
Parliament Buildings is home to the Northern Ireland Assembly, the legislative body for Northern Ireland established under the Belfast Agreement 1998 (Good Friday Agreement). Built in 1921 at a cost of nearly £1.7 million, it was designed to house the newly formed Government of Northern Ireland and was officially opened on 16th November 1932 by the then Prince of Wales, on behalf of King George V. Free guided tours are available throughout the year.
Titanic Centre
The Titanic Centre, built on the site of Harland & Wolff, who built the ill-fated liner at their dock in Belfast, is one of the main tourist attractions of the city. It was opened in 2012 and has proved a very popular venue for tourists from around the globe. It is the centrepiece of the “Titanic Quarter,” which includes the old Harland & Wolff drawing offices, the SS Nomadic and the dlips where the Titanic was launched. The design is meant to reflect the prows of ships, though Belfast humour has decided that they more resemble icebergs! This has not stopped its rise as one of the main tourist and conference centres in Northern Ireland.
Ulster Museum
In existence since 1833, it is in its present location on Stranmillis Road since 1929. In 1964, a modern extension in the “Brutalist” concrete style was added and the focus moved from what was the main building to the new entrance in the Botanic Gardens. In 2009, it was controversially redeveloped and is now reopened. The Museum holds a wide range of art from Irish and Ulster based artists as well as an extensive exhibit from the Armada ship, the Girona. There are also exhibits from local and international history.
