Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [507]
QUEEN’S SQUARE
At the east end of High St is Belfast’s very own leaning tower, the Albert Memorial Clock Tower (Map). Erected in 1867 in honour of Queen Victoria’s dear departed husband, it is not as dramatically out of kilter as the more famously tilted tower in Pisa but does, nevertheless, lean noticeably to the south – as the locals say, ‘Old Albert not only has the time, he also has the inclination.’ Restoration work has stabilised its foundations and left its Scrabo sandstone masonry sparkling white.
Many of the buildings around the clock tower are the work of Sir Charles Lanyon. The white stone building immediately north of the clock tower was completed in 1852 by Lanyon as head office for the Northern Bank (Map).
South of the tower on Victoria St is the Malmaison Hotel (Map; 1868), formerly two seed warehouses – look for the friezes of exotic birds, plants and nut-munchingsquirrels on the left half of the facade.
LAGAN WEIR
Across the street from the Custom House is Bigfish (Map; 1999), the most prominent of the many modern artworks that grace the riverbank between Clarendon Dock and Ormeau Bridge. The giant ceramic salmon – a symbol of the regeneration of the River Lagan – is covered with tiles depicting the history of Belfast.
It sits beside Lagan Weir (Map), the first stage of the Laganside Project, completed in 1994. Years of neglect and industrial decline had turned the River Lagan, the original lifeblood of the city, into an open sewer flanked by smelly, unsightly mudflats. The weir, along with a program of dredging and aeration, has improved the water quality so much that salmon, eels and sea trout migrate up the river once again.
For details of the boat tours that depart from here, Click here.
LANYON PLACE
A five-minute walk south from the Lagan Weir leads to Lanyon Pl, the Laganside Project’s flagship site, dominated by the 2235-seat Waterfront Hall. Across Oxford St lie the neoclassical Royal Courts of Justice (Map; 1933), bombed by the IRA in 1990 but now emerging from behind the massive security screens that once concealed them.
South of the courts is the elegant Victorian St George’s Market (Map; 9043 5704; cnr Oxford & May Sts; admission free; 6am-1pm Fri, 9am-3pm Sat), built in 1896 for the sale of fruit, butter, eggs and poultry; it’s the oldest continually operating market in Ireland. Restored in 1999, it now hosts a variety market on Friday, selling fresh flowers, fruit, vegetables, meat and fish, plus general household and second-hand goods, and the City Food and Garden Market on Saturday, which often has live music. There’s also a two-day Christmas Fair and Market in early December.
Titanic Quarter
Belfast’s former shipbuilding yards – the birthplace of RMS Titanic – stretch along the east side of the River Lagan, dominated by the towering yellow cranes known as Samson and Goliath. The area is currently undergoing a £1 billion regeneration project known as Titanic Quarter (www.titanicquarter.com), which plans to develop the long-derelict docklands over the next 15 to 20 years.
There are plans to build an ‘iconic attraction’ in the Titanic Quarter (at the head of the Titanic slipways) in time for the centenary of the Titanic’s launch in 2012 although, at the time of research, work had not yet begun. In the meantime, the informative and entertaining commentary on the Lagan Boat Company’s Titanic Tour is the best way to learn about the history of the shipyards.
ODYSSEY COMPLEX
The Odyssey Complex is a huge sporting and entertainment centre on the eastern side of the river across from Clarendon Dock. The complex features a hands-on science centre, a 10,000-seater sports arena (home to the Belfast Giants ice-hockey team), a multiplex cinema with an IMAX screen, a video-games centre