Belfast ~ BT1

Is the Capital city and an industrial port of Northern Ireland. It lies within County Antrim and County Down, on Belfast Lough. Local industries include air-craft components, engineering, textile production and electronics.It is known that a castle was built in Belfast the Anglo-Norman John de Courcy in 1177. After that, nothing much changes until 1603 when an Englishman called Arthur Chichester was granted the land around the castle and built a small town. It was granted a charter in 1613 and fast became a centre of English and Scottish protestant settlement. Huguenots immigration in the late 17th and early 18th centuries established the town as a centre of linen production, but it wasn't until the Act of Union in 1801 that Belfast became an industrial jewel in the United Kingdom. The following years saw movement from the rural communities and an increase in Roman Catholic townspeople. Belfast was made a city in 1888. The 'troubles' of the late 1960's saw the city badly damaged by civil disturbances and terrorist activity until the ceasefire of 1994.

Places of Interest

• The Linen Hall Library built in 1788
• Belfast Castle - the former home of the Donegall family.
• The Grand Opera House
• Stormont - the seat of the Northern Ireland Assembly

Belfast is surrounded by magical countryside varying from mountainous moors and soft pasturland. You are never far from the sea and the famous Giants Causeway is close by. The roads are excellent, with miles of motorway and dual carriageway.

Living in Belfast - Education, Shopping and Travel Links

Belfast is the centre of Northern Ireland's transport network and has ferries to Liverpool and Heysham in England, Stanraer and Troon in Scotland and the Isle of Man . Some 20 miles to the north, the port of Larne provides ferries to Scotland. Belfast boasts a City airport and an international airport at Aldergrove some19 miles to the west.

Belfast is a vibrant place with many entertainment and cultural venues including theatres, good cinemas and museums. Excellent restaurants and traditional bars abound. The city has numerous and varied shopping centres including the Westwood Shopping Centre, the Carryduff Shopping Centre and the Forestside Shopping Centre. The Lisburn Road Variety Market is a great favourite for produce and household supplies and the city centre boasts the usual range of high street stores and some smaller specialist boutiques and delicatessens.

Every variety of sport and leisure activity is catered for in or around the city with golf being high in the list of priorities - there are 14 clubs in the near vicinity.

Belfast has around 70 primary and junior schools and some 26 secondary or high schools. It also has two universities - The University of Ulster at Jordanstown, and Queen's University.

Estate and Letting Agents for Belfast BT1