August 28, 2012

Giant's Ring

Giant's Ring

We saw this marked on the map a little out of our way and had no idea what to expect, but decided to explore anyway. One of those places to stumble onto, see briefly and then move on, only to discover later that we may have enjoyed more time to really learn about it. The Giant's Ring is a henge monument at Ballynahatty, near Shaw's Bridge, Belfast, Northern Ireland. Giant's Ring, Ballynahatty, County Down, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Baile na hÁite Tí, Contae an Dúin, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f8, 1/250 second, ISO 200.

Dolmen

The Giant's Ring site is a State Care Historic Monument and has ASAI (Area of Significant Archaeological Interest) status. Giant's Ring, Ballynahatty, County Down, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Baile na hÁite Tí, Contae an Dúin, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f8, 1/250 second, ISO 200.

Passage Tomb

When we arrived, there was an Irish family attempting to pose for a photo on top of the dolmen. The battery in their camera was dead, so we offered to take their photo and email it to them. The Giant's Ring dates from the Neolithic period and was built around 2700BC, meaning that it predates the Egyptian pyramids. The site has had some sort of public use throughout its history. It is near the Shaw's Bridge crossing of the River Lagan, a point which has been used as a crossing of the river since at least the Stone Age. The original purpose of the monument was most likely as a meeting place or as a memorial to the dead. Giant's Ring, Ballynahatty, County Down, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Baile na hÁite Tí, Contae an Dúin, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f8, 1/250 second, ISO 200.

Passage Tomb

Archaeologist Michael J. O'Kelly believed that the Giant's Ring, like hundreds of other passage tombs built in Ireland during the Neolithic period, such as Newgrange, showed evidence for a religion which venerated the dead as one of its core principles. He believed that this "cult of the dead" was just one particular form of European Neolithic religion, and that other megalithic monuments displayed evidence for different religious beliefs which were solar, rather than death-orientated. Giant's Ring, Ballynahatty, County Down, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Baile na hÁite Tí, Contae an Dúin, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f8, 1/250 second, ISO 200.

Oak Tree on the Ring

In the 18th century the site was used for horse racing. Giant's Ring, Ballynahatty, County Down, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Baile na hÁite Tí, Contae an Dúin, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f8, 1/250 second, ISO 200.

Giant's Ring

The site consists of a circular enclosure,590 ft in diameter and 6.9 acres in area, surrounded by a circular earthwork bank 11 ft high. At least three of the five irregularly spaced gaps in the bank are intentional and possibly original. East of the center of the enclosure is a small passage tomb with a vestigial passage facing west. There were reports of other tombs outside the enclosure, but there is no trace of these. Giant's Ring, Ballynahatty, County Down, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Baile na hÁite Tí, Contae an Dúin, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f9, 1/320 second, ISO 200.

Newtownards

What is that Tower?

As we came into Newtownards, we were looking for the abbey. Unfortunately, we never did find it and after driving around a while, we set off to explore this large tower on a prominent hill. Scrabo Tower, Newtownards, County Down, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Baile Nua na hArda, Contae an Dúin, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/10, 1/400 second, ISO 200.

Down Countryside

The view of the beautiful pastoral countryside of rural Down County south of Newtownards from the car park at Scrabo Tower. Scrabo Tower, Newtownards, County Down, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Baile Nua na hArda, Contae an Dúin, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/8, 1/250 second, ISO 200.

Scrabo Tower

As you climb the paved path from the car park, the tower rises from the crest of the hill as more and more of its height is revealed. Scrabo Tower, Newtownards, County Down, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Baile Nua na hArda, Contae an Dúin, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/8, 1/250 second, ISO 200.

Scrabo Tower

The landmark, which is visible from most of north Down, was built above the town in 1857 as a memorial to Charles Stewart, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry who was one of the Duke of Wellington's generals during the Napoleonic Wars. Scrabo Tower, Newtownards, County Down, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Baile Nua na hArda, Contae an Dúin, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/8, 1/250 second, ISO 200.

Scrabo Tower

The 3rd Marquis, or "Warring Charlie" as he was also known, inherited the title and family seat of Mount Stewart after his brother, the 2nd Marquis, committed suicide. The 2nd Marquis is better known as Viscount Castlereagh, the politician who served a term as Britain's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. Scrabo Tower, Newtownards, County Down, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Baile Nua na hArda, Contae an Dúin, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/10, 1/400 second, ISO 200.

A Matter of Perspective

The view from a wide angle lens located near the base of the tower gives a closer rendering to how the tower actually seems from close-up. How we see the world around us is always a matter of perspective. The real question is whether we are flexible enough to see a new and different perspective. This trip has certainly shown us that! Scrabo Tower, Newtownards, County Down, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Baile Nua na hArda, Contae an Dúin, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/9, 1/320 second, ISO 200.

Tower Entrance

I find it interesting that arrowslits would be incorporated into a tower built in the mid-1800s, especially since the tower is a memorial rather than a home or fortress. I guess that is in keeping with the memorial to "Warring Charlie." Scrabo Tower, Newtownards, County Down, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Baile Nua na hArda, Contae an Dúin, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/6.3, 1/160 second, ISO 200.

Seeking Roots

In the far distance across Strangford Lough on the near shore of the Ards Peninsula right at the center of this photo is Kircubbin, where my Irish ancestor David Stevenson, along with his brother Andrew, left their homeland and family and emigrated to America around the same time this tower was built. Tomorrow we will attempt to find his father's grave in Ballywalter. Scrabo Tower, Newtownards, County Down, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Baile Nua na hArda, Contae an Dúin, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/9, 1/320 second, ISO 200.

We took a lot of photos that could be pasted together to form panoramic shots of the countryside from the base of the tower. We would have liked to go up, but we were late in the day and it was closed. The view from the hill and the summit of the tower extends across Strangford Lough, scattered with its many islands, to the Mountains of Mourne and the Scottish coast. Scrabo Tower, Newtownards, County Down, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Baile Nua na hArda, Contae an Dúin, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/10, 1/400 second, ISO 200.



Modern Farm

As we were getting ready to leave the car park, I couldn't resist taking a couple of photos of the pretty farm situated at the base of the hill. Scrabo Tower, Newtownards, County Down, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Baile Nua na hArda, Contae an Dúin, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/5.6, 1/500 second, ISO 200.

Farmhouse

Nice place to call home. Nice to still see farmers prospering. Scrabo Tower, Newtownards, County Down, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Baile Nua na hArda, Contae an Dúin, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/5.6, 1/500 second, ISO 280.

Killyleagh

Killyleagh Castle

Killyleagh Castle from Church Hill. Late in the day as we were driving from Newtownards toward Downpatrick to find our B&B for the evening, we came around a curve in the road and one of the most picturesque castles we saw on the trip was off to our right. Unfortunately, the road was narrow with no shoulders or turnouts and traffic was heavy, so we did not get a photo from that angle. It would have been much better than we were able to get in the little town of Killyleagh.

In 1602 Gaelic chieftain Con O'Neill of Clandeboye owned large tracts of North Down, including Killyleagh. O'Neill sent his men to attack English soldiers after a quarrel and was consequently imprisoned. O'Neill's wife made a deal with Scots aristocrat Hugh Montgomery to give him half of O'Neill's lands if Montgomery could get a royal pardon for O'Neill. Montgomery obtained the pardon but King James I divided the land in three, with the area from Killyleagh to Bangor going to another Scot, James Hamilton, later 1st Viscount Claneboye. A map of Killyleagh from 1625 showed the castle as having a single tower on the south side of a residence. In about 1625 Hamilton moved from Bangor to Killyleagh Castle, where he built the courtyard walls. It has been the home of the Hamilton family ever since. Killyleagh Castle, Killyleagh, County Down, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Cill Uí Laoch, Contae an Dúin, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/8,1/250 second, ISO 200.

Killyleagh Castle & Gatehouse

Viscount Claneboye's son, James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Clanbrassil, built the second tower. He supported the Stuart monarch Charles I of England and the castle was besieged in 1649 by Oliver Cromwell's forces who sailed gunboats into Strangford Lough and blew up the gatehouse. The Earl fled, leaving behind his wife and children. Parliament fined him for the return of the castle and his land.

The 1st Earl's son, Henry Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Clanbrassil, rebuilt the castle in 1666. He erected the north tower and built (or perhaps restored) the long fortified bawn (wall) in the front of the castle. The 2nd Earl's castle is mostly what remains today. Killyleagh Castle, Killyleagh, County Down, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Cill Uí Laoch, Contae an Dúin, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/7.1,1/200 second, ISO 200.

Gatehouse

In 1667 the 2nd Earl married Lady Alice Moore, daughter of the Earl of Drogheda, and their only child died in infancy. Lady Alice discovered that her father-in-law, the 1st Earl of Clanbrassil, had stated in his will that should Henry die without issue the estate should be divided between five Hamilton cousins, the eldest sons of his five uncles. She destroyed the will and had her husband make his own will in 1674, leaving the estate to her. Henry died of poisoning in 1675, then Lady Alice died in 1677, leaving the estate to her brother. The cousins, however, were aware of the 1st Earl's will and pursued their rights as inheritors. The matter was concluded 20 years later when a copy of the original will was discovered. By then, the cousins were all dead. The last to die was James Hamilton of Neilsbrook, County Antrim, son of Archibald Hamilton, the next brother of James Hamilton, 1st Viscount Claneboye. James Hamilton of Neilsbrook had been confident of a settlement in his favor and had bequeathed the estate to be divided in two, with one half going to his daughter Anne Stevenson, née Hamilton, and the other half to his younger brothers Gawn and William Hamilton. In 1697 the probate court divided the castle, with Gawn and William gaining the main house and the two towers and their niece Anne receiving the bawn and gate house. Gawn and William had to open a new entrance on the north side in order to enter their castle.

William died without children in 1716 and the castle passed to successive generations of Gawn Hamilton's descendants. Gawn's great-grandson Archibald Hamilton Rowan, an Irish nationalist of the United Irishmen, lived in the castle as one of his homes between 1806 and 1834 after his return from exile in America.

Hamilton Rowan's grandson, Archibald Rowan-Hamilton, and his wife employed architect Sir Charles Lanyon from 1850 to renovate the castle, creating its romantic silhouette with the addition of the turrets.

James Hamilton of Neilsbrook's daughter Anne married Hans Stevenson and her estate passed to her son James Stevenson, then to his daughter Dorcas, later Dorcas Blackwood, 1st Baroness Dufferin and Claneboye (1726–1807), and on to Dorcas's great-grandson Frederick Temple Blackwood, 5th Baron Dufferin and Claneboye (1826–1902). In 1860 the 5th Baron gave the bawn and gate house to the Hamiltons and commissioned a replacement gate house to better match the main castle. The Baron added Hamilton to his surname just before marrying his distant cousin Hariot Georgina Rowan-Hamilton, daughter of Archibald Rowan-Hamilton, in 1862. Killyleagh Castle, Killyleagh, County Down, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Cill Uí Laoch, Contae an Dúin, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/5.6, 1/320 second, ISO 400.

Killyleagh Castle

The castle came under attack by the Irish Republican Army during the troubles of the 1920s. Gawn Rowan Hamilton has said: "I have a cutting from the Belfast Telegraph which tells the story of my great-great uncle being woken at 2 am and exchanging gunfire from the battlements, which was terribly exciting." And there you have it, the history of Downton Abbey! Killyleagh Castle, Killyleagh, County Down, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Cill Uí Laoch, Contae an Dúin, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/7.1, 1/200 second, ISO 400.

Killyleagh Castle

Killyleagh Castle is a riot of turrets and battlements rising like a fairytale vision above Killyleagh as this amazing Loire-style chateau completely dominates the small village. It is a private family home, claimed to be the oldest inhabited castle in Ireland. It has been the home of the Hamilton family since the 17th century Plantation of Ulster and acquired its fairy-tale silhouette in the 1850s when the turrets were added, but it is mostly the same castle that the second Earl of Clanbrassil rebuilt in 1666. Killyleagh Castle, Killyleagh, County Down, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Cill Uí Laoch, Contae an Dúin, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/5.6, 1/500 second, ISO 320.

Saul

Paddy's Barn Bar & Restaurant

As had become our custom, we asked the landlady for directions to a pub or restaurant for our dinner and she told us how to get to Paddy's Barn. We are so glad she did, because as we were beginning to eat, a group of musicians began to assemble for their once monthly Tuesday evening Traditional Irish music session in Paddy's Barn Bar & Restaurant. We had a great time and nearly got locked out of the house because we stayed so late listening and singing along. Saul, County Down, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Sabhall Phádraig, Contae an Dúin, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/5.3, 1/60 second, ISO 800.

Singing in the Pub

Traditional Irish music in Paddy's Barn Bar & Restaurant. Saul, County Down, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Sabhall Phádraig, Contae an Dúin, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/5.3, 1/8 second, ISO 1600.

Traditional Irish music in Paddy's Barn Bar & Restaurant. It started out as instrumental, but as more musicians joined in, the singing started and it got better and better. Saul, County Down, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Sabhall Phádraig, Contae an Dúin, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012.

August 28, 2012

Belfast

Albert Memorial Clock

The Albert Memorial Clock is a clock tower situated at Queen's Square in Belfast. It was completed in 1869 and is one of the best known landmarks of Belfast. Belfast, County Antrim, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Béal Feirste, Contae Aontroma, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/10, 1/400 second, ISO 200.

Albert Memorial Clock

As a result of being built on wooden piles on marshy, reclaimed land around the River Farset, the top of the tower leans four feet off the perpendicular. Due to this movement, some ornamental work on the belfry was removed in 1924 along with a stone canopy over the statue of the Prince. To halt the worsening lean and repair damage caused by the elements and heavy passing traffic, a multi-million pound restoration project was completed in 2002. During the project the wooden foundations were strengthened, the majority of the decaying carvings were replaced and the entire tower was cleaned. Belfast, County Antrim, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Béal Feirste, Contae Aontroma, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/10, 1/500 second, ISO 200.

Thing with the Ring

The Thanksgiving Statue is a £300,000 public art metal sculpture by Andy Scott 19.5 meters high constructed in 2007 in Thanksgiving Square in Belfast. As with other public works of art in Ireland the sculpture has been given several nicknames. These include the Beacon of Hope, the Nuala with the Hula, the Bell on the Ball and the Thing with the Ring. Belfast, County Antrim, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Béal Feirste, Contae Aontroma, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/11, 1/500 second, ISO 200.

St. Thomas' Church

St. Thomas' Church is located at the end of Eglantine Avenue at the junction with the Lisburn Road. The Parish extends from Elmwood Avenue to Adelaide Park, and from the Malone Road to the Lisburn Road. Belfast, County Antrim, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Béal Feirste, Contae Aontroma, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/9, 1/320 second, ISO 200.

St. Thomas' Church

On a grand scale and designed to impress, St Thomas's is one of the grandest and most fully finished examples of High Victorian Gothic ecclesiastical architecture, not only in Belfast, but in Ulster. Inside the Church, cool monumentality gives way to warmth and richness. Built of white Scrabo sandstone with finely dressed masonry round doors and windows, it is adorned with red sandstone banding and colored marble discs and colonnettes to the tower and spire. The exterior is a confident exercise in eclectic design: generally the style is Early French Gothic, but the polychrome effects point to an Italian Gothic influence. There may also be an Early Christian Irish reference in the round stone-capped stair turret. The date 1870 is inscribed over the North doorway. Probably because of constraints imposed by the sloping site, the orientation of St Thomas' is unusual, the chancel facing North. In 1888 the church was enlarged at the South end, to a John Lanyon design, when the South West porch was added, as well as the internal gallery with its Gothic timber stairway. Along with the increase in the length of nave and aisles, this extended the seating capacity to over 1,000. Belfast, County Antrim, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Béal Feirste, Contae Aontroma, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/9, 1/320 second, ISO 200.

Divided Still

The wall/fence is still a constant reminder of the deep seated differences that still remain. The gates are still often shut at night to prevent violence. The land use differences on the two sides is also a stark reminder of the economic realities of the cultural struggle.

Belfast has been the capital of Northern Ireland since its establishment in 1921 following the Government of Ireland Act 1920. It had been the scene of various episodes of sectarian conflict between its Catholic and Protestant populations. These opposing groups in this conflict are now often termed republican and loyalist respectively, although they are also referred to as 'nationalist' and 'unionist'. The most recent example of this conflict was known as the Troubles – a civil conflict that raged from around 1969 to 1998.

Belfast saw some of the worst of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, particularly in the 1970s, with rival paramilitary groups formed on both sides. Bombing, assassination and street violence formed a backdrop to life throughout the Troubles. The Provisional IRA detonated 22 bombs within the confines of Belfast city center in 1972, on what is known as "Bloody Friday", killing nine people. Loyalist paramilitaries including the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) claimed that the killings they carried out were in retaliation for the IRA campaign. Most of their victims were Catholics with no links to the Provisional IRA. A particularly notorious group, based on the Shankill Road in the mid-1970s, became known as the Shankill Butchers.

In all, over 1,600 people were killed in political violence in the city between 1969 and 2001. Due to the violence, even continuing today, Belfast is often referred to as the "European Capital of Terrorism". Belfast, County Antrim, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Béal Feirste, Contae Aontroma, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/11, 1/500 second, ISO 200.

Queen's University

Queen's University Belfast has its roots in the Belfast Academical Institution, which was founded in 1810, one of the United Kingdom's 10 oldest universities, and remains as the Royal Belfast Academical Institution. The present university was first chartered as "Queen's College, Belfast" in 1845, when it was associated with the simultaneously founded Queen's College, Cork, and Queen's College, Galway, as part of the Queen's University of Ireland – founded to encourage higher education for Catholics and Presbyterians, as a counterpart to Trinity College, Dublin, then an Anglican institution. Queen's College, Belfast, opened in 1849. Its main building, the Lanyon Building, was designed by the English architect, Sir Charles Lanyon. At its opening, it had 23 professors and 343 students. Some early students at Queen's University Belfast took University of London examinations. The University also forms the focal point of the Queen's Quarter area of the city, one of Belfast's seven cultural districts. Belfast, County Antrim, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Béal Feirste, Contae Aontroma, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/9, 1/320 second, ISO 200.

Crescent Church

Crescent Church, independent evangelical with a Brethren background. Belfast, County Antrim, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Béal Feirste, Contae Aontroma, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/10, 1/400 second, ISO 200.

Church House Bell Tower

Church House is dominated by a 40m high clock tower, which contains Belfast's only peal of 12 bells. Belfast, County Antrim, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Béal Feirste, Contae Aontroma, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/6.3, 1/640 second, ISO 200.

The Crown Bar

The Crown Liquor Saloon is a public house located on Great Victoria Street. Refurbished to a high standard in 1885, it is an outstanding example of a Victorian gin palace, and is one of Northern Ireland's best-known pubs. Originally opened by Felix O'Hanlon and known as The Railway Tavern, the pub was then bought by Michael Flanagan. Flanagan's son Patrick renamed and renovated the pub in 1885. Belfast, County Antrim, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Béal Feirste, Contae Aontroma, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/8, 1/250 second, ISO 200

Church House

Church House in Belfast, Northern Ireland is the headquarters of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The building is located near the center of Belfast at the junction of Fisherwick Place, Great Victoria Street, Howard Street and Grosvenor Road. It was built in 1905, in the Gothic style, and opened by the Duke of Argyll. Belfast, County Antrim, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Béal Feirste, Contae Aontroma, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/9, 1/320 second, ISO 200.

Belfast Metropolitan College

Belfast Metropolitan College is a further and higher education institution. The college offers both vocational education and academic qualifications. With over 50,000 enrolments and an annual budget in the region of £45 million, it is Northern Ireland's largest college. Belfast, County Antrim, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Béal Feirste, Contae Aontroma, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/9, 1/320 second, ISO 200.

Spire of Hope

The Spire of Hope is an outdoor sculpture. The 40-meter spire is built into the roof of St Anne's Cathedral in the city's Cathedral Quarter. Belfast, County Antrim, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Béal Feirste, Contae Aontroma, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/11, 1/500 second, ISO 200.

Chimneys

These multiple-flue chimneys were commonplace in Belfast. I photographed several, but these were the best, showing both the multiple-flues, but also the growth that is everywhere present. Belfast, County Antrim, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Béal Feirste, Contae Aontroma, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/8, 1/250 second, ISO 200.

Belfast City Hall

Looking up Linen Street at the back of the City Hall. Belfast, County Antrim, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Béal Feirste, Contae Aontroma, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/8, 1/250 second, ISO 200.

Belfast Castle

Belfast Castle is set on the slopes of Cavehill Country Park in a prominent position 400 feet (120 m) above sea level. Its location provides unobstructed views of the city of Belfast and Belfast Lough.

The original Belfast Castle, built in the late 12th century by the Normans, was located in the town itself, flanked by the modern day High Street, Castle Place and Donegall Place in what is now Belfast city center. This was the home of Sir Arthur Chichester, baron of Belfast, but was burned down in 1708, leaving only street names to mark the site. Rather than rebuild on the original site, the Chichesters decided to build a new residence in the city's suburbs, today's Belfast Castle emerging as a result. The building that stands today was built from 1811–70 by the 3rd Marquess of Donegall. It was designed in the Scottish baronial style by Charles Lanyon and his son, of the architectural firm Lanyon, Lynn and Lanyon. After Donegall's death and the family's financial demise, the 8th Earl of Shaftesbury completed the house.

It was his son, the 9th Earl of Shaftesbury, who presented the castle to the City of Belfast in 1934. In 1978, Belfast City Council began a major refurbishment over a period of ten years at a cost of over two million pounds. The architect was the Hewitt and Haslam Partnership. The building officially re-opened to the public on 11 November 1988. Belfast, County Antrim, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Béal Feirste, Contae Aontroma, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/10, 1/400 second, ISO 200.

Stormont

The Parliament Buildings

The Parliament Buildings, commonly known as Stormont because of their location in the Stormont area of Belfast, are the seat of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Northern Ireland Executive. They previously housed the defunct Parliament of Northern Ireland. Stormont, Belfast, County Antrim, Ulster, Northern Ireland, (Béal Feirste, Contae Aontroma, Ulaidh, Tuaisceart Éireann), August 28, 2012. f/10, 1/400 second, ISO 200.