Belfast, Northern Ireland
Bank Holiday
Being a member of the Loyalist Family, signers of the Ulster Compact, I should be one. However, as an Irish Citizen, of the Republic of Ireland, I think the Island should all be one country. Grandparents and great-grandparents are spinning in the graves for sure. Our excursion today is a panoramic bus ride with photo stops. It begins at 07:50.
Our first stop along the way at Stormont. The Northern Ireland Parliament Buildings are often referred to as Stormont, because of its location in the Stormont Estate area of Belfast. Prior to 1922 and the Government of Ireland Act there was no parliament in Ireland, in fact there was no Northern Ireland. However, with the act Ireland and Northern Ireland were created. The purpose-built building, designed by Arnold Thornely, and constructed by Stewart & Partners, was opened by Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), in 1932.
Stormont Castle was the manor house on the Stormont Estate and served a the home to the Northern Ireland Executive and the Executive Office. The castle was completed c.1830 and was reworked in 1858 by its original owners, the Cleland family, to the designs of Thomas Turner in the Scottish baronial style with features such as bartizans used for decorative purposes. The building and 235 acres of adjoining land was bought by the newly established Government of Northern Ireland for £15,000 in 1921.
Between 1921 and 1972, it served as the official residence of the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. However, a number of Prime Ministers chose to live at Stormont House, the official residence of the Speaker of the House of Commons of Northern Ireland, which was empty as a number of Speakers had chosen to live in their own homes. It also served as the meeting place for the Cabinet of the Government of Northern Ireland from 1921 to 1972.
With the imposition of direct rule in 1972, it served as the Belfast headquarters of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Office (NIO) ministers and supporting officials. During The Troubles, it was also used by MI5 officers. The Good Friday Agreement was concluded in nearby Castle Buildings in April 1998.
On the mile long road from the front gate to the parliament building as some really unique ornate streetlights. These streetlights were given to Northern Ireland by the Canadian government. One document I looked at said the head of the great Irish elk was unused on the streetlights. I pointed this out to the guide and he laughed. Take a look he said. I did. It isn’t any type of Irish elk, it is a Canadian Moose. I’ll post my photo of it Facebook.
The next stop was as Belfast Castle. This year Belfast Castle is celebrating a very important milestone anniversary. It has been 90 years since the castle and its surrounding estate were gifted to the citizens of Belfast by the Right Honorable Earl of Shaftesbury on 26 July 1934. The young earl, namely Anthony-Ashley Cooper, was a dutiful and proud resident of the North Belfast area, and served as Lord Mayor of Belfast in 1907, eventually becoming simply Lord Shaftesbury.
Following the gifting of the castle and estate to the city in 1934, Belfast Castle became a visitor attraction for many. Over the years, the venue has played host to many receptions, dances and high teas, while the landscaped gardens were opened to picnickers and day-trippers to enjoy.
Belfast Castle is one set on the slopes of Cave Hill Country Park from which the castle serves as a talisman for the city. It has a commanding a view from 120 meters above the heart of Belfast. With its deeply connected history, a sweeping driveway and beautiful landscaped gardens, the Castle attracts both tourists and local people. Many use the castle's country park as part of their daily routine.
The first Belfast Castle was built by the Normans in Belfast city centre in the late 12th century. A second castle, made of stone and timber, was later constructed by Sir Arthur Chichester, Baron of Belfast, on the same site in 1611. Sadly, the castle burned down almost 100 years later, leaving only street names, such as Castle Place, to mark its location. In 1862, the third Marquis of Donegall, a descendant of the Chichester family, decided to build a new castle within his deer park, situated on the side of Cave Hill in what is now north Belfast.
Designs for the new building were completed by architect John Lanyon and reflected the popular Scottish baronial style. The castle was finished in 1870 and cost far more than the £11,000 set aside by the Marquis. In order to complete the building, he received financial help from his son-in-law, Lord Ashley, heir to the title of Earl of Shaftesbury. When the third Marquis of Donegall died in 1884, the castle and its estate passed to Lord Ashley, the seventh Earl of Shaftesbury.
Lord Ashley and his wife, Harriet Augusta, as well as their ancestors, are remembered in many famous Belfast street names, such as Donegall Place, Donegall Square, Donegall Road and Shaftesbury Square. The Donegall coat-of-arms appears over the front door and on the north wall of Belfast Castle. A section of the Shaftesbury crest also appears on the exterior staircase, now a popular spot for wedding photographs. This was not part of the original castle plans. Instead, it was added in 1894 by the ninth Earl of Shaftesbury as a present to his mother.
The Shaftesbury family were a generous donor to Belfast, supporting many charities and hosting garden fêtes in the castle grounds. The ninth Earl became Lord Mayor of Belfast in 1907 and chancellor of Queen's University in 1908. The castle remained with the family for many years, before they eventually presented it and the surrounding estate to the city of Belfast in 1934.
Between 1945 and the 1970s, Belfast Castle was a popular venue for wedding receptions, dances and afternoon teas. In 1978, the castle closed as part of a £2 million refurbishment program, overseen by Hewitt and Haslam Partnership architects. It reopened on 11 November 1988.
The castle is very beautiful. They were in the process of cleaning up from a wedding last night, but it was in remarkable shape. The grounds were equally beautiful. They brochure is correct in stating that the views from the castle of Belfast are amazing. There is something cats in the garden, several “graves”, statues and plaques. Couldn’t figure out what it was however.
We drove back down into downtown Belfast city center. We stopped at Belfast City Hall where there are two monuments to the Titanic disaster. It is located on Donegall Square. There are two striking bronze statues on the front lawn of the city hall, actually a lot more but two were added on International Women’s’s Day 2024. One of Mary Ann McCracken and another of Winifred Carney.
Mary Ann McCracken was an abolitionist, educator, social reformer and businesswoman who fought for the rights of many, while Winifred Carney was a suffragist, committed trade unionist and political activist. The two statues were designed to reflect the values and activities for which they are best known.
Mary Ann is depicted handing out abolitionist leaflets while wearing a Wedgewood anti-slavery badge and Winifred’s sculpture reflects her roles as a trade unionist, adjutant in the Irish Citizen Army and as James Connolly's personal secretary and political confidante.
Belfast Lord Mayor Councillor Ryan Murphy said: “As these are two of the most notable and influential women in Belfast’s history, it is important that they receive this formal recognition by the council on behalf of the city. … These statues celebrate female achievement, inclusivity and the diversity of the people who have helped shape our city. They will therefore help to educate locals and visitors about our city’s history, and I have no doubt that they will help attract more visitors to City Hall and the city for decades to come.”
The statues were sculpted by internationally acclaimed artist Ralf Sander along with his daughter Naomi Sander. Commenting on the project, Naomi Sander said: “It was an honor for Studio Sander & Sander to be selected to create sculptures of these two influential women, especially given the prominent setting in City Hall where they will be viewed by huge numbers of visitors for decades to come.
Ralf Sander said: ““I led on the sculpture of Winifred, while Naomi was the lead artist on Mary Ann. Creating life-size bronze figurative sculptures is a complex and time-consuming process, but this has been a very rewarding project to deliver. I think that we have captured the essence of both women in the final pieces, so I hope that they will be seen as positive additions to the grounds of City Hall by the public.”
Mary, Peggy and I, I think, took a tour of Belfast in 2010. It was a quick taxi tour, that seemed to be focused on the “troubles”. In contrast to today’s tour, we missed a great deal of Belfast that day. There is clearly a lot more to Belfast than the “troubles”. Sure, the “troubles” are still talked about and still ever present, but there is so much more to the city. Sorry we missed it last time, and equally didn’t have more time this time. But, this is how it goes with cruising; short stops, introduction and move on.
We got back in time to have lunch at the pool grill, get a short rest and then go the cooking class. Our cooking class is with Chef Karlis Clem. The title of the class is “A French Love Affair.” We liked his previous class – “A passport to the North Atlantic.” This afternoon we made savory crepes a la normande. His technique for making the crepes was interesting. It was very easy to make a simple crepe.
The savory part was the “filling.” The filling was a combination of chicken, mushrooms, apple, shallots, cream, camembert, calvados and herbs. We made the crepe, folded it half, filled have of that with the savory mixture, then closed the crepe and poured the remainder over the top. It was excellent.
We then made a steak with Bourgogne sauce. Since there wasn’t sufficient time in the class to make the traditional “filet de boeuf Bourgogne” we pan fried a steak and served it was a sauce. The sauce contained the ingredients of a classic Bourgogne- shallot, red wine, thyme, cream, Dijon mustard, Demi-glacé and chives. Very nice presentation.
The last thing we made was an Alsatian Bettelman, aka bread pudding. Now bread pudding isn’t my things, at all, usually because it includes raisins. This particular one used reconstituted dried cherries. It was served with gelato and kirschwasser (cherry juice and sugar mixture). It was wonderful.
After the class we were quite full. There was no need for dinner. So we stayed in the suite and worked on the plans for 2025 and 2026. Late fall and early winter 2025 are looking like South America and Antartica. Early 2025 is, of course, African Safari, Morocco and Grace’s high school graduation. Mary’s book club has something in the fall of 2025, perhaps October.
Buonanotte e ciao, Enrico e Maria.
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