Belfast

[blue matt]

Oh font of CCMB knowledge

Im off on a Cruise soon and its stopping in Belfast, doing the Titanic museum ( wife's choice )

but I want to see a few of the other sites, Bobby Sands Mural, peace gates, is it safe enough to do a bit of a walking tour of Falls Rd and Shankill Rd with me and the mrs, im guessing these days its all very safe and touristy ? ?

[Mario Miethig]

Re: Belfast

Went there three years ago for a weekend. It’s a great city! Some great pubs in the city centre. Did a tour bus of the ‘Peace wall’ around the Falls Road and Shankill Road areas, it’s an eye opener. Didn’t do any of it on foot. Apparently you can get taxi drivers who’ll take you around the area and give you more in depth information on it all.

[jon1959]

Re: Belfast

Oh font of CCMB knowledge

Im off on a Cruise soon and its stopping in Belfast, doing the Titanic museum ( wife's choice )

but I want to see a few of the other sites, Bobby Sands Mural, peace gates, is it safe enough to do a bit of a walking tour of Falls Rd and Shankill Rd with me and the mrs, im guessing these days its all very safe and touristy ? ?

WE went a few years back and took a Black Cab Tour of West Belfast. The Black Cab Association (not sure of official name) has drivers who are from both communities - but they all act as neutral guides and take you around both nationalist and loyalist areas: the murals, the security gates and 'Peace Wall', the memorial gardens.... the lot. We then came back later and looked at some places for longer, and went into some of the community museums and bookshops/cafes.

Crumlin Road Gaol is worth a visit, and there a lot of interesting places in and around the city centre. It is a lot more than the Harland & Woolf cranes (iconic though) and the Titanic Museum (which is brilliant).

[jon1959]

Re: Belfast

There are several Black Cab Tour sites - this is just an example:

https://www.musement.com/uk/belfast/belfast-political-taxi-tour-437250/?lid=58700008219932624&ds_e_adid&ds_e_matchtype&ds_e_device=c&ds_e_network=x&ds_url_v=2&idengine=1323188743&idcampaign=19425198420&idadgroup&nmkeyword&idkeyword&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19433037068&gclid=Cj0KCQjwkMjOBhC5ARIsADIdb3f-4w1VEK_meOWJc2qpuswUjgTMc7vrSj9H76DO1YzxmzIlQ1lfC04aAic3EALw_wcB

[William Treseder]

Re: Belfast

Me and the Mrs are going to Belfast at the end of June to see The Cure.

[NYCBlue]

Re: Belfast

Any cabbie will take you on the tour. East Belfast is weird as ****. Ulster flags, Union flags, St George's flags. I really can't get my head around these people being loyal to the English crown. Do they feel well treated/respected by the English?

[blue matt]

Re: Belfast

ive made a bit of a mistake, Ive not left enough time for a black cab tour or the hop on / off bus, as we really only have 2 ish hours, I should have left more time, should have got the later flight back ( the Cruise ends in Belfast ) Ive looked at changing the flight, but the admin feee is more than the flight cost

I guess the answer is to go back for a few days and see the city, maybe Dublin again and Belfast

[ToTaL ITK]

Re: Belfast

Me and the Mrs are going to Belfast at the end of June to get a Cure.

Fixed

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Re: Belfast

ive made a bit of a mistake, Ive not left enough time for a black cab tour or the hop on / off bus, as we really only have 2 ish hours, I should have left more time, should have got the later flight back ( the Cruise ends in Belfast ) Ive looked at changing the flight, but the admin feee is more than the flight cost

I guess the answer is to go back for a few days and see the city, maybe Dublin again and Belfast

From my own observations of popping over to see the murals many years ago and before the peace process he'd kicked in, I did notice that it was probably inadvisable to wear a Celtic or Rangers in the wrong area.
By the way, when the peace process was underway, I remember reading an article about an artist being asked if he would like to paint over his paramilitary fresco (at the end of a terraced row of houses) and replace it with a more peaceable image. He agreed to it but cancelled just before he was meant to start - as he stated that he was unfamiliar with painting faces in a mural as his previous efforts showed only individuals in balaclavas.

[Jordi Culé]

Re: Belfast

ive made a bit of a mistake, Ive not left enough time for a black cab tour or the hop on / off bus, as we really only have 2 ish hours, I should have left more time, should have got the later flight back ( the Cruise ends in Belfast ) Ive looked at changing the flight, but the admin feee is more than the flight cost

I guess the answer is to go back for a few days and see the city, maybe Dublin again and Belfast

Great city to visit, Cathedral Quarter worth a nose to have a drink, St. George's Market for a browse and all the cities history to take in.

[jon1959]

Re: Belfast

ive made a bit of a mistake, Ive not left enough time for a black cab tour or the hop on / off bus, as we really only have 2 ish hours, I should have left more time, should have got the later flight back ( the Cruise ends in Belfast ) Ive looked at changing the flight, but the admin feee is more than the flight cost

I guess the answer is to go back for a few days and see the city, maybe Dublin again and Belfast

Belfast and Dublin works well - either with flights or ferries.

When we went to Belfast a few years ago we combined it with the Antrim Coast - walking for 4 days (50 miles) and visiting the Giants Causeway and other places (villages, castles, beaches) on the north coast.

We wanted to get to Derry but ran out of time. Local buses are good along the coast and, as we didn't have a car, taxis from Belfast (and back again) worked out OK for price. Certainly cheaper than a hire car.

We are doing a road trip around Ireland in about 6 weeks starting and finishing in Dublin (Holyhead Ferry) but also including Derry, so catching up with what we missed last time.

[Tuerto]

Re: Belfast

Oh font of CCMB knowledge

Im off on a Cruise soon and its stopping in Belfast, doing the Titanic museum ( wife's choice )

but I want to see a few of the other sites, Bobby Sands Mural, peace gates, is it safe enough to do a bit of a walking tour of Falls Rd and Shankill Rd with me and the mrs, im guessing these days its all very safe and touristy ? ?

Both areas are fine to visit, it's very safe if you're not a dickhead. It's getting quite a touristy thing to do now. The gates are locked before dark though, or used to be.

[William Treseder]

Re: Belfast

Fixed

You’re not the full shilling son are you ? 😁

[JamesWales]

Re: Belfast

In the unlikely event Glentoran are at home, catch a game.

Truly one of the last remaining grand old football grounds. Almost unchanged in 60 years

[light up the darkness]

Re: Belfast

I read recently of an American tourist who was in search of her family’s roots. Could not believe or understand how she was not treated with the respect she felt she deserved and was completely ignored by the locals in a pub when she was holding forth about her 11% Irish dna.