Belfast Bouncer
A long, long time ago I was the custodian of the door at Belfast’s oldest family-owned pub somewhere between Shaftesbury Square and The Crescent Arts Centre. A Belfast institution, Laverys had been a safe haven for an eclectic ensemble of [...]
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Can Rugby Resolve Our Sectarian Woes?
Spoiler alert – of course it can’t, don’t be daft. But indulge me for a few short minutes please…. I went to Methody which of course has been hugely successful on the rugby field over the decades, but given I [...]
A Day Into Town – 70s Style
I’m a Belfast boy born and bred and presumably like some of you, many of my formative years were spent in the 1970s, in many ways a terrible time for the city…the worst of the Troubles. However for little skinny [...]
What’s In A Name?
Nick names are an inherent part of the linguistic and social culture of all places. Possibly even more so in industrial cities were people lived and worked in such physical proximity to each other. The sheer closeness produced more interaction [...]
Sir Arthur Chichester (1563-1625) – Belfast’s Blackadder?
Next time you’re walking, cycling or driving along Chichester Street, Donegall Square, Place, Road, Street, Quay or Pass, cast your mind as to who or what these vast tracts of Belfast city centre are named after. If you’d thought they’re [...]
The Etheromaniacs (not a 1980s synth band but should have been)
Since the 16th century, the Irish and the British, along with the rest of western Europe, were drinking a fair bit of alcohol and thanks to improving trade routes, we could get our hands on some tasty beverages too. Among [...]
Sugarhouse Entry – Home of the United Irishmen
If you’re from Belfast I bet you’ve walked past it many times, but never heard of Sugarhouse Entry? If I’m wrong I most humbly apologise, but in any case, I’m sure you’ll agree it’s one of the forgotten parts of [...]
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