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Belfast City Hall

March 11, 2024

Belfast City Hall (Irish: Halla na Cathrach Bhéal Feirste; Ulster-Scots: Bilfawst Citie Haw) is the civic building of Belfast City Council located in Donegall Square, Belfast, Northern Ireland. It faces North and effectively divides the commercial and business areas of the city centre. It is a Grade A listed building.[2]

Belfast City Hall
The Belfast City Hall in August 2017
General information
Architectural styleBaroque Revival
Classification
Listed Building – Grade A
Designated27 November 1975
Reference no.HB 26/50/001
LocationDonegall Square
Town or cityBelfast
CountryNorthern Ireland
Coordinates54°35′47″N 5°55′48″W / 54.59639°N 5.93000°W / 54.59639; -5.93000
Current tenantsBelfast City Council
Construction started1898
Completed1906
Renovated2009
CostApprox £360,000[1]
ClientBelfast Corporation
HeightRoof – 174 feet (53 m)
Design and construction
Architect(s)Sir Alfred Brumwell Thomas
Quantity surveyorWH Stephens
Main contractorH&J Martin

History edit

 
The White Linen Hall, or the Linen Hall Library as it was in 1888. Now replaced by the City Hall.

Belfast City Hall was commissioned to replace the Old Town Hall in Victoria Street.[3] The catalyst for change came in 1888 when Belfast was awarded city status by Queen Victoria. This was in recognition of Belfast's rapid expansion and thriving linen, rope-making, shipbuilding and engineering industries. During this period Belfast briefly overtook Dublin as the most populous city in Ireland.[4]

It was in this context that in the late 19th century the new city leaders formed the view that the Victoria Street building was not imposing enough and decided to commission a new building: the site they selected was once the home of the White Linen Hall, an important international Linen Exchange. The street that runs from the back door of Belfast City Hall through the middle of Linen Quarter is Linen Hall Street.[5]

Belfast Corporation used their profits from the gas industry to pay for the construction of the Belfast City Hall.[6] The building, which was designed by Sir Alfred Brumwell Thomas in the Baroque Revival style, was built in Portland Stone at a cost of £369,000 and opened on 1 August 1906.[7] Local firms H&J Martin and WH Stephens were among the companies involved in the design and construction.[8] James G. Gamble, principal city architect with Belfast Corporation, was clerk of works for the erection of the City Hall circa 1896-1906.[9]

The city hall in Durban, South Africa is almost an exact replica of Belfast's City Hall.[10] It was built in 1910 and designed by Stanley G. Hudson, who was inspired by the Belfast design. The Port of Liverpool Building, designed by Sir Arnold Thornely and completed in 1913, is another very close relative.[11]

On 1 August 2006 the City Hall celebrated its centenary with a "Century of Memories" exhibition and family picnic day.[12] On 3 December 2012, the City Council voted to limit the days that the Union Flag flies from City Hall to no more than 18 designated days. Since 1906, the flag had been flown every day of the year. The move was backed by the Council's Irish nationalist Councillors and by its Alliance Party Councillors. It was opposed by the unionist Councillors, who had enjoyed a majority on the council until the Northern Ireland local elections of 2011. On the night of the vote, unionist and loyalist protesters tried to storm the City Hall. They held protests throughout Northern Ireland, some of which became violent.[13]

Exterior edit

 
The grounds of City Hall: in the background are the dome at Victoria Square Shopping Centre and the Belfast Wheel.

The hall features towers at each of the four corners, with a lantern-crowned 173 ft (53 m) green copper dome in the centre.[14] The pediment sculpture is by F. W. Pomeroy, assisted by local carver J. Edgar Winter, and features on the reverse side of the current series of £10, £20, £50 and £100 sterling banknotes issued by the Northern Bank.[15]

Interior edit

The interior has a number of notable features including the Porte-Cochère and Grand Entrance, the Grand Staircase, the Reception Room and the Banqueting Hall. The roof above the Banqueting Hall was destroyed during the Belfast blitz on the night of 4/5 May 1941 and had to be rebuilt.[16]

Carrara, Pavonazzo and Brescia marbles are used extensively throughout the building as are stained glass windows featuring among others the Belfast Coat of Arms, portraits of Queen Victoria and William III and shields of the Provinces of Ireland.[17] There is also a stained glass window commemorating the 36th (Ulster) Division.[18]

  •  
    City Hall Dome
  •  
    First floor Rotunda
  •  
    Sculpture of the Earl of Belfast
  •  
    Central staircase
  •  
    Main entrance

Parts of Belfast City Hall are open to the public, with a permanent exhibition opening in 2017.[19] Visitors can also book free guided tours of the City Hall with access to areas usually closed to the public.[20]

Grounds and public memorials edit

The memorial to Sir Edward Harland, the former head of the Harland and Wolff shipyard and Lord Mayor of Belfast, was sculpted by Sir Thomas Brock and unveiled by the Earl of Glasgow on 23 June 1903.[21] The statue of Queen Victoria also by Brock was unveiled by King Edward VII on 27 July 1903.[22] The Titanic Memorial in Belfast was dedicated in June 1920.[23]

The grounds also house Northern Ireland's main war memorial, the Garden of Remembrance and Cenotaph, unveiled in 1929.[24] There is also a granite column dedicated to the American Expeditionary Force, many of whom were based in Belfast prior to D-Day, unveiled in 1943.[25]

A 6-foot-high (1.8 m) memorial to Leading Seaman James Magennis VC, made from Portland stone and bronze, was erected in the grounds in October 1999.[26]

On 3 January 2006 Belfast City Councillors ratified a plan to erect a statue to the late Belfast footballer George Best in the grounds of the City Hall. Following approval from the Best family, the George Best Memorial Trust was created in December 2006. The trust's patron David Healy contributed £1,000 to the estimated total cost of £200,000.[27]

In October 2007 a 60-metre Ferris wheel was constructed in the grounds, giving passengers panoramic views 200 ft (61 m) above the city. The wheel had 42 air-conditioned capsules, which could hold up to six adults and two children. The wheel finally closed at 6:00 pm on 11 April 2010 and was removed during May 2010.[28]

In 2008, the Imjin River Memorial was relocated here when the St Patrick's Barracks in Ballymena closed. The memorial commemorates Irish[29] troops lost in the Battle of Chaegunghyon in January 1951 during the Korean War.[30]

On 8 March 2024, bronze statues of the the anti-slavery campaigner, Mary Ann McCracken, and the trade unionist, Winifred Carney, were unveiled at a ceremony at Belfast City Hall to coincide with International Women's Day 2024.[31] Mary Ann McCracken campaigned against slavery at Belfast docks until she was almost 90 years-old[32] and Winifred Carney was a suffragist, committed trade unionist and political activist.[33]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Brett, C.E.B. Buildings of Belfast 1700–1914. Page 67. Friar's Bush Press, Belfast, 1985.
  2. ^ "Belfast City Hall (HB 26/50/001)". Department for Communities. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  3. ^ "Old Town Hall, Belfast". Victorian Webb. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  4. ^ "The Victorian Web". National University of Singapore. 12 September 2006. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  5. ^ The Linen Hall Library, one of Belfast's oldest cultural institutions, that occupies a site in Donegal Square North in front of today's City Hall, started life within the walls of the White Linen Hall.
  6. ^ . Culture Northern Ireland. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  7. ^ "History of Belfast City Hall". Belfast City Council. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  8. ^ "History of Belfast City Hall". Alastair MacNab. 9 February 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  9. ^ "Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940: GAMBLE, JAMES GARDNER". Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  10. ^ "About Belfast". BBC Schools. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  11. ^ Brett, C. E. B. Buildings of Belfast 1700–1914. Belfast: Friar's Bush Press, 1985; p. 65.
  12. ^ "City hall hosts centenary party". BBC News. 1 August 2006. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  13. ^ "Violence in Belfast after council votes to change Union flag policy" BBC News 3 December 2012 Retrieved 5 December 2012
  14. ^ DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Ireland. DK Eyewitness Travel. 2018. ISBN 978-0241311813.
  15. ^ . Ron Wise's Banknoteworld. Archived from the original on 8 October 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
  16. ^ "Belfast Blitz: Recalling the fear, death and horror of nights Nazi warplanes bombed city". Belfast Telegraph. 18 April 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  17. ^ "Stained glass windows". Belfast City Council. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  18. ^ "36th (Ulster) Division". Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  19. ^ "Belfast City Hall Visitor Exhibition". Belfast City Council. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  20. ^ "Belfast City Hall Guided Tours". Belfast City Council. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  21. ^ "Edward James Harland, Statue". Titanic Memorials. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  22. ^ "Sculpture by Sir Thomas Brock". Victoria Web. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  23. ^ Barczewski, Stephanie (2011). Titanic: A Night Remembered. London: Continuum International Publishing Group. p. 223. ISBN 978-1-4411-6169-7.
  24. ^ "Belfast War Memorial". Irish War Memorials. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  25. ^ "American Expeditionary Force Memorial". Waymarking. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  26. ^ "James Joseph Magennis VC". Victoria Cross. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  27. ^ "Healy's Best statue grand gesture". BBC News. 30 January 2007. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  28. ^ Belfast City Council 17 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  29. ^ "Royal Ulster Rifles Korean Memorial". Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  30. ^ "War Memorials Trust". Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  31. ^ "Mary Ann McCracken and Winifred Carney statues unveiled". BBC News. 8 March 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  32. ^ "McCracken, Mary Ann". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  33. ^ Quinn, James (2009). "Carney, Winifred ('Winnie') | Dictionary of Irish Biography". www.dib.ie. Retrieved 9 March 2024.

External links edit

  • Belfast City Hall
  •   Media related to Belfast City Hall at Wikimedia Commons
Preceded by
none
 Home of the
Parliament of Northern Ireland
1921 		Succeeded by

54°35′47″N 5°55′48″W / 54.596484°N 5.930053°W / 54.596484; -5.930053

March 11, 2024
belfast, city, hall, irish, halla, cathrach, bhéal, feirste, ulster, scots, bilfawst, citie, civic, building, belfast, city, council, located, donegall, square, belfast, northern, ireland, faces, north, effectively, divides, commercial, business, areas, city, . Belfast City Hall Irish Halla na Cathrach Bheal Feirste Ulster Scots Bilfawst Citie Haw is the civic building of Belfast City Council located in Donegall Square Belfast Northern Ireland It faces North and effectively divides the commercial and business areas of the city centre It is a Grade A listed building 2 Belfast City HallThe Belfast City Hall in August 2017General informationArchitectural styleBaroque RevivalClassificationListed Building Grade ADesignated27 November 1975Reference no HB 26 50 001LocationDonegall SquareTown or cityBelfastCountryNorthern IrelandCoordinates54 35 47 N 5 55 48 W 54 59639 N 5 93000 W 54 59639 5 93000Current tenantsBelfast City CouncilConstruction started1898Completed1906Renovated2009CostApprox 360 000 1 ClientBelfast CorporationHeightRoof 174 feet 53 m Design and constructionArchitect s Sir Alfred Brumwell ThomasQuantity surveyorWH StephensMain contractorH amp J Martin Contents 1 History 2 Exterior 3 Interior 4 Grounds and public memorials 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksHistory edit nbsp The White Linen Hall or the Linen Hall Library as it was in 1888 Now replaced by the City Hall Belfast City Hall was commissioned to replace the Old Town Hall in Victoria Street 3 The catalyst for change came in 1888 when Belfast was awarded city status by Queen Victoria This was in recognition of Belfast s rapid expansion and thriving linen rope making shipbuilding and engineering industries During this period Belfast briefly overtook Dublin as the most populous city in Ireland 4 It was in this context that in the late 19th century the new city leaders formed the view that the Victoria Street building was not imposing enough and decided to commission a new building the site they selected was once the home of the White Linen Hall an important international Linen Exchange The street that runs from the back door of Belfast City Hall through the middle of Linen Quarter is Linen Hall Street 5 Belfast Corporation used their profits from the gas industry to pay for the construction of the Belfast City Hall 6 The building which was designed by Sir Alfred Brumwell Thomas in the Baroque Revival style was built in Portland Stone at a cost of 369 000 and opened on 1 August 1906 7 Local firms H amp J Martin and WH Stephens were among the companies involved in the design and construction 8 James G Gamble principal city architect with Belfast Corporation was clerk of works for the erection of the City Hall circa 1896 1906 9 The city hall in Durban South Africa is almost an exact replica of Belfast s City Hall 10 It was built in 1910 and designed by Stanley G Hudson who was inspired by the Belfast design The Port of Liverpool Building designed by Sir Arnold Thornely and completed in 1913 is another very close relative 11 On 1 August 2006 the City Hall celebrated its centenary with a Century of Memories exhibition and family picnic day 12 On 3 December 2012 the City Council voted to limit the days that the Union Flag flies from City Hall to no more than 18 designated days Since 1906 the flag had been flown every day of the year The move was backed by the Council s Irish nationalist Councillors and by its Alliance Party Councillors It was opposed by the unionist Councillors who had enjoyed a majority on the council until the Northern Ireland local elections of 2011 On the night of the vote unionist and loyalist protesters tried to storm the City Hall They held protests throughout Northern Ireland some of which became violent 13 Exterior edit nbsp The grounds of City Hall in the background are the dome at Victoria Square Shopping Centre and the Belfast Wheel The hall features towers at each of the four corners with a lantern crowned 173 ft 53 m green copper dome in the centre 14 The pediment sculpture is by F W Pomeroy assisted by local carver J Edgar Winter and features on the reverse side of the current series of 10 20 50 and 100 sterling banknotes issued by the Northern Bank 15 Interior editThe interior has a number of notable features including the Porte Cochere and Grand Entrance the Grand Staircase the Reception Room and the Banqueting Hall The roof above the Banqueting Hall was destroyed during the Belfast blitz on the night of 4 5 May 1941 and had to be rebuilt 16 Carrara Pavonazzo and Brescia marbles are used extensively throughout the building as are stained glass windows featuring among others the Belfast Coat of Arms portraits of Queen Victoria and William III and shields of the Provinces of Ireland 17 There is also a stained glass window commemorating the 36th Ulster Division 18 nbsp City Hall Dome nbsp First floor Rotunda nbsp Sculpture of the Earl of Belfast nbsp Central staircase nbsp Main entrance Parts of Belfast City Hall are open to the public with a permanent exhibition opening in 2017 19 Visitors can also book free guided tours of the City Hall with access to areas usually closed to the public 20 Grounds and public memorials editThe memorial to Sir Edward Harland the former head of the Harland and Wolff shipyard and Lord Mayor of Belfast was sculpted by Sir Thomas Brock and unveiled by the Earl of Glasgow on 23 June 1903 21 The statue of Queen Victoria also by Brock was unveiled by King Edward VII on 27 July 1903 22 The Titanic Memorial in Belfast was dedicated in June 1920 23 The grounds also house Northern Ireland s main war memorial the Garden of Remembrance and Cenotaph unveiled in 1929 24 There is also a granite column dedicated to the American Expeditionary Force many of whom were based in Belfast prior to D Day unveiled in 1943 25 A 6 foot high 1 8 m memorial to Leading Seaman James Magennis VC made from Portland stone and bronze was erected in the grounds in October 1999 26 On 3 January 2006 Belfast City Councillors ratified a plan to erect a statue to the late Belfast footballer George Best in the grounds of the City Hall Following approval from the Best family the George Best Memorial Trust was created in December 2006 The trust s patron David Healy contributed 1 000 to the estimated total cost of 200 000 27 In October 2007 a 60 metre Ferris wheel was constructed in the grounds giving passengers panoramic views 200 ft 61 m above the city The wheel had 42 air conditioned capsules which could hold up to six adults and two children The wheel finally closed at 6 00 pm on 11 April 2010 and was removed during May 2010 28 In 2008 the Imjin River Memorial was relocated here when the St Patrick s Barracks in Ballymena closed The memorial commemorates Irish 29 troops lost in the Battle of Chaegunghyon in January 1951 during the Korean War 30 On 8 March 2024 bronze statues of the the anti slavery campaigner Mary Ann McCracken and the trade unionist Winifred Carney were unveiled at a ceremony at Belfast City Hall to coincide with International Women s Day 2024 31 Mary Ann McCracken campaigned against slavery at Belfast docks until she was almost 90 years old 32 and Winifred Carney was a suffragist committed trade unionist and political activist 33 nbsp Under construction nbsp Belfast s Titanic Memorial nbsp Front of the building nbsp Monument to Queen Victoria nbsp Lord Dufferin monument nbsp Statue of Edward James Harland founder of Harland and Wolff nbsp Memorial to James Magennis VC 2004 nbsp View showing Belfast City Hall with the Belfast Wheel to the side Late March 2010 nbsp Statue of James Horner Haslett Mayor of Belfast 1887 88 nbsp Statue of Sir Daniel Dixon first Lord Mayor of Belfast 1892 93 1901 04 amp 1905 07 nbsp Statue of William James Pirrie Lord Mayor of Belfast 1896 98 nbsp Statue of Robert James McMordie Lord Mayor of Belfast 1910 14 nbsp Garden of Remembrance and The Cenotaph in BelfastSee also editList of public art in BelfastReferences edit Brett C E B Buildings of Belfast 1700 1914 Page 67 Friar s Bush Press Belfast 1985 Belfast City Hall HB 26 50 001 Department for Communities Retrieved 15 April 2020 Old Town Hall Belfast Victorian Webb Retrieved 21 June 2022 The Victorian Web National University of Singapore 12 September 2006 Retrieved 15 April 2020 The Linen Hall Library one of Belfast s oldest cultural institutions that occupies a site in Donegal Square North in front of today s City Hall started life within the walls of the White Linen Hall Belast Gasworks Culture Northern Ireland Archived from the original on 22 September 2020 Retrieved 15 April 2020 History of Belfast City Hall Belfast City Council Retrieved 17 July 2022 History of Belfast City Hall Alastair MacNab 9 February 2016 Retrieved 15 April 2020 Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 1940 GAMBLE JAMES GARDNER Retrieved 22 July 2022 About Belfast BBC Schools Retrieved 15 April 2020 Brett C E B Buildings of Belfast 1700 1914 Belfast Friar s Bush Press 1985 p 65 City hall hosts centenary party BBC News 1 August 2006 Retrieved 15 April 2020 Violence in Belfast after council votes to change Union flag policy BBC News 3 December 2012 Retrieved 5 December 2012 DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Ireland DK Eyewitness Travel 2018 ISBN 978 0241311813 Northern Ireland Ron Wise s Banknoteworld Archived from the original on 8 October 2008 Retrieved 30 October 2008 Belfast Blitz Recalling the fear death and horror of nights Nazi warplanes bombed city Belfast Telegraph 18 April 2016 Retrieved 15 April 2020 Stained glass windows Belfast City Council Retrieved 15 April 2020 36th Ulster Division Imperial War Museum Retrieved 15 April 2020 Belfast City Hall Visitor Exhibition Belfast City Council Retrieved 14 November 2023 Belfast City Hall Guided Tours Belfast City Council Retrieved 14 November 2023 Edward James Harland Statue Titanic Memorials Retrieved 15 April 2020 Sculpture by Sir Thomas Brock Victoria Web Retrieved 15 April 2020 Barczewski Stephanie 2011 Titanic A Night Remembered London Continuum International Publishing Group p 223 ISBN 978 1 4411 6169 7 Belfast War Memorial Irish War Memorials Retrieved 15 April 2020 American Expeditionary Force Memorial Waymarking Retrieved 15 April 2020 James Joseph Magennis VC Victoria Cross Retrieved 15 April 2020 Healy s Best statue grand gesture BBC News 30 January 2007 Retrieved 15 April 2020 Belfast City Council Archived 17 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine Royal Ulster Rifles Korean Memorial Retrieved 18 April 2014 War Memorials Trust Retrieved 18 April 2014 Mary Ann McCracken and Winifred Carney statues unveiled BBC News 8 March 2024 Retrieved 9 March 2024 McCracken Mary Ann Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Retrieved 9 March 2024 Quinn James 2009 Carney Winifred Winnie Dictionary of Irish Biography www dib ie Retrieved 9 March 2024 External links editBelfast City Hall nbsp Media related to Belfast City Hall at Wikimedia CommonsPreceded bynone Home of theParliament of Northern Ireland1921 Succeeded byAssembly s College Building54 35 47 N 5 55 48 W 54 596484 N 5 930053 W 54 596484 5 930053 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Belfast City Hall amp oldid 1212872756, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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