Belfast, Northern Ireland
Fáilte go Béal Feirste
History
Belfast is a port city, the capital and largest city of
Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east
coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom and the
second-largest in Ireland. By the early 19th century, Belfast was a major
port. It played an important role in the Industrial Revolution in Ireland,
becoming briefly the biggest linen-producer in the world, earning it the
nickname "Linenopolis". By the time it was granted city status in 1888, it
was a major centre of Irish linen production, tobacco-processing and
rope-making. Shipbuilding was also a key industry; the Harland and Wolff
shipyard, which built the RMS Titanic, was the world's largest shipyard.
Belfast as of 2019 has a major aerospace and missiles industry.
Industrialisation, and the inward migration it brought, made Belfast
Northern Ireland's biggest city. Following the partition of Ireland in
1921, Belfast became the seat of government for Northern Ireland.
Belfast's status as a global industrial centre ended in the decades after
the Second World War.
Find out more about Belfast History
Architecture
The architectural style of Belfast's public buildings range from a small
set of Georgian buildings, many examples of Victorian, including the main
Lanyon Building at Queen's University Belfast and the Linenhall Library,
(both designed by Sir Charles Lanyon). There are also many examples of
Edwardian, such as the City Hall, to modern, such as the Waterfront Hall.
The City Hall was finished in 1906 and was built to reflect Belfast's city
status, granted by Queen Victoria in 1888. The Edwardian architectural
style of Belfast City Hall influenced the Victoria Memorial in Calcutta,
India, and Durban City Hall in South Africa. The dome is 173 ft (53 m)
high and figures above the door state "Hibernia encouraging and promoting
the Commerce and Arts of the City".
Find out more about Belfast Architecture
Tourism
Over the last decade Belfast has been transformed and is now considered a ‘must-see’ tourism destination.
In recent times the world spotlight has shone on everything from our industrial and maritime heritage to our music, our golfing credentials, our unique stories, and breathtaking scenery.
Belfast is not only a great place to visit, it's also an attractive location in which to live, work, study and invest. HBO's epic fantasy television series Game of Thrones® was largely filmed in the region and other companies such as Universal Pictures and Disney have chosen Northern Ireland for recent productions.
Find out more about Belfast Tourism
Economy
After the Troubles The IRA ceasefire in 1994 and the signing of the Good
Friday Agreement in 1998 have given investors increased confidence to
invest in Belfast. This has led to a period of sustained economic growth
and large-scale redevelopment of the city centre. Developments include
Victoria Square, the Cathedral Quarter, and the Laganside with the Odyssey
complex and the landmark Waterfront Hall. The Waterfront Hall. Built in
1997, the hall is a concert, exhibition and conference venue. Other major
developments include the regeneration of the Titanic Quarter, and the
erection of the Obel Tower, a skyscraper set to be the tallest tower on
the island. Today, Belfast is Northern Ireland's educational and
commercial hub.
There were 6.4 million visitors in 2005, which was a growth of 8.5% from
2004. The visitors spent £285.2 million, supporting more than 15,600 jobs.
Visitor numbers rose by 6% to reach 6.8 million in 2006, with tourists
spending £324 million, an increase of 15% on 2005. The city's two airports
have helped make the city one of the most visited weekend destinations in
Europe.
Belfast has been the fastest-growing economy of the thirty largest cities
in the UK over the past decade, a new economy report by Howard Spencer has
found. BBC Radio 4's World reported furthermore that despite higher
levels of corporation tax in the UK than in the Republic. There are "huge
amounts" of foreign investment coming into the country. Der Spiegel, a
German weekly magazine for politics and economy, titled Belfast as The New
Celtic Tiger which is "open for business".
Find out more about Belfast's Economy
