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First records in the 14th century speak of a Norman castle on a ford of the Farset river to defend the route into county Down. No trace of this structure remains but it is thought to have stood on the current Castle Place. The city's name first appears in English records referring to a 'Castle built at Belfaste' in 1476. The place didn't grow until lands & the derelict castle passed to Sir Arthur Chichester in 1603. He was rewarded for suppressing the Clandeboye O'Neills with extensive lands including almost all of the existing town. He worked hard to develop his estates & was rewarded in 1613 with the issuing of a royal charter making the town a borough with the right to two members to the Irish parliament in Dublin. This laid the basis for the slow but inexorable growth into the Georgian port & centre for shipbuilding, Linen manufacture & export - the cradle of the industrial revolution on the island of Ireland.
From the end of the 18th century the city was a hotbed of political ferment. The United Irishmen Movement grew in response to democratic demands for access to power for the middle & commercial classes drawing inspiration from the French Revolution. Violently suppressed this rebellion set the fault lines of conflict for the next 200 years. Irish Republicans chart their origins from this time, as does the Orange Order. The political & religious fallout sent dissenters to the Americas where they played significant roles in politics & military affairs. Titanic!
From the end of the 18th century the city was a hotbed of political ferment. The United Irishmen Movement grew in response to democratic demands for access to power for the middle & commercial classes drawing inspiration from the French Revolution. Violently suppressed this rebellion set the fault lines of conflict for the next 200 years. Irish Republicans chart their origins from this time, as does the Orange Order. The political & religious fallout sent dissenters to the Americas where they played significant roles in politics & military affairs. Titanic!
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Belfast Travel Blogs
Mar 04, 2008
I set out to collect my biggest son Rudi from Belfast International Airport and took the camera along as the weather was changeable with occasional sun. I drove the back roads from home (Ardsbeg, Gortahork - Donegal), over the Muckish Gap (Muckish is a local mountain see description), pas…
Jun 12, 2008 – Jun 15, 2008
Seeing as this hostel sucked and they never even told us what time check-out was we decided to just sleep in and not set an alarm and get up when we felt like it. We woke around 10ish I think and then just started to pack up our stuff to leave. They had storage for bags so that was nice and we left…
Jul 09, 2007 – Oct 05, 2008
United Kingdom -› Truro, England, UK -› …
Summer Madness is a yearly event run by a Christian organisation called Exodus to serve Irelands youth and give them a Soul Survivor-like experience.I first sent a demo in to Summer Madness about 8 years ago in my old band. Did try 2 more times over the years but never got a chance to go over. Ho…
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