History

The name Belfast derives from 'beal feirste' in Irish, which means as much as 'mouth of the sandpit' - and is first mentioned in the 15th century. The settlement itself originated from a castle build around 1177 by John the Courcy. It was always second to Carrick-fregus, another castle build by the same baron. Belfast's history really starts in 1603, when the castle and the lands of Belfast came into the possession of Sir Arthur Chicester, Governor of Carrickfergus, who planted the land with settlers from Devon and Scotland. Ten years later Belfast was granted corporation status, with the right to send members to the parliament at Westminster. In the 17th century there was an influx of Hugenot immigrants seeking refuge from religious persecution in France.

Industrialisation began for Belfast in the 18th century with the linen-trade. This gradually made place for cotton in the next century. In this century Belfast rocketeered from barely 9000 to 300.000 inhabitants. One of the most impressive sights of Belfast is the Harland & Wolff shipyard with it’s 2 giant cranes; it’s still the greatest shipyard in Great Britain. The prosperity brought by shipping and industry is still reflected in the impressive buildings from that era. Though the heydays of the wharves lay in the 19th century, this did not prevent Belfast from expanding in the 20th century. Belfast is still not a very big town, just over half a million inhabitants, but it’s by far the biggest town in Northern Ireland.