Belfast with The Dragons - Day 3 - 2nd September

Day 3


Match day is here, but plenty to do before then.

After breakfast in the hotel we walked into the city centre, not far, and caught the open top bus for a 90 minute tour of Belfast.  This proved to be well worth the £10 each that it cost us. We set off from Castle place and our first visit was to the Custom House and then on to the Lagan Weir.

The Custom House

Next stop was the SSE Arena, home to the Belfast Ice Hockey team and venue for concerts from the likes of Neil Young.

The SSE Arena

We then drove past the giant Harland and Wolff cranes, known locally as Goliath and Samson before driving past the set of Game of Thrones (where they were filming today) and stopping to view HMS Caroline, the only warship left from the battle of Jutland during the First World War.

Goliath and Samson 

The set of Game of Thrones

HMS Caroline 

Next stop was Stormont, what a magnifificent building, the home of the Northern Ireland Parliament.

Two views of Stormont 

Next was the Grand Opera house next to the Europa Hotel which was the most bombed building during the troubles.  Then on to Queen's University

The Grand Opera House with the Europa Hotel in the background 

Queen's University 

We then visited the areas that we had heard so much of during the troubles.  First we went to see part of the three mile long 'Peace Wall' that still separates the Catholics from the Protestants. Quite chilling! Then we went to the Falls Road in the Catholic sector and saw the wall Murals including the one featuring Bobby Sands. After that it was the Shankill Road in the Protestant area and examples of their murals.

Although the troubles are now over, it felt as though there would still be a great deal of mistrust in these areas for the people living on either side of that monstrous wall.

A section of the wall that divides the Catholics from the Protestants

The Bobby Sands Mural in the Falls Road 

Protestan Murals in the Shankhill Road 

Last place before heading back to the centre was the Crumlin Road Gaol. I can't express the feeling of dread I had while just looking at it.

Crumlin Road Gaol 

When we arrived back at City centre, Tom and I made a quick visit to the magnificent City Hall before stopping for a drink at Belfast's oldest pub, the Crown Bar.

City Hall 

Thomas drinking Brains at the bar of The Crown Bar

We then returned to the hotel to get ready to go to the match. The least said about that the better.  We were very much second best and lost heavily 29 - 8. Met nice people though and the stadium was terrific. How I wish we had one like that.

Ulster's new Kingspan Stadium tonight

Let's put it behind us now. We have hired a car and will be driving to The Giants Causeway tomorrow.