A Few Lesser-Known Facts About Belfast You Need to Know

The largest city of Northern Ireland, Belfast is on the banks of River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom.

Jonathan Swift, the author of the famous novel, Gulliver's Travels, was inspired by the Cave hill he saw on the way from London to Belfast. He introduced the Giant as a tribute to the Cave hill.

Great Victoria Street has the smallest house in Belfast. It measures around 3 meters across. Today, it's no longer occupied.

Errol Flynn, an Australian actor who acted in romantic Swashbuckler Hollywood films, attended Royal Belfast Academical Institution in 1921.

Former President of Israel, Chaim Herzog was born in North Belfast in 1918. An Ulster History plaque has been placed on the outside wall of the house.

The first castle in Belfast was built by John de Courcy, a Norman knight in the 1170s. It was no more than a motte-and-bailey. It was in the 1870s, when the Belfast Castle was built on the slopes of Cavehill.

Built in 1904, Thompson Graving Dock was the biggest dock then,  popularly known for accommodating the Titanic, during its fitting out.

Van Morrison, an Irish singer was from the eastern part of Belfast.

Pneumatic tire was invented by John Wood Dunlop in Belfast in the year 1887.

The Titanic, the world famous ship, was built here.

With prior reservation, you can dine at Titanic Hotel, in a Victorian office cubicle, that was once the Drawing Offices of RMS Titanic.

The author Clive Staples Lewis was born in Belfast and attended Campbell College here. His famous children's book, The Chronicles of Narnia, was inspired by the forests, castles and hills in and around Belfast.

Belfast's Great Light is an optic light, 130 years old, weighs 10 tonnes and is seven meters tall. It has a major significance to Belfast's economic, maritime and industrial past.

Belfast has 3000 acres of verdant area that has been converted into manicured gardens and parks. Belvoir Park, Botanic Gardens and Colin Glen are some of the must-visit parks.

Whites Tavern is one of the oldest taverns in Belfast. It is said that United Irishman Henry Joy McCracken, who had been found guilty of treason, had his last drink here before he was hanged in High Street.

Belfast's oldest library,  the Linen Hall Library is over 200 years old. It houses the oldest book De Anima, written in 1490, as well as  first edition copy of James Joyce’s Ulysses.

Do you know that the symbol of Belfast is a seahorse? It is a tribute to the maritime history of Belfast.

Nickname of Belfast is Linenopolis because of the thriving linen industry. Linen Quarter is the district that houses many of the linen stores.