The Belfast Entries

Welcome to the Belfast Entries, a series of narrow, ribbon-like alleyways that form the hidden skeletal structure of the city's historic core. To understand Belfast, one must move away from the grand Victorian boulevards and step…

We begin our journey at Pottinger's Entry, perhaps the most iconic of all the Belfast passages. It is named after Sir Henry Pottinger, a nineteenth-century soldier, colonial administrator, and the first Governor of Hong Kong, who…

Next, we move to Winecellar Entry, whose name leaves little doubt as to its historical function. This area was for over 260 years the center of the city's wholesale wine and spirits trade. …

Turning into Joy's Entry, we encounter a site deeply entwined with the revolutionary spirit of late eighteenth-century Belfast. The entry is named after the Joy family, prominent industrialists and founders of the Belfast…

Crown Entry is often overlooked by the casual visitor, yet it holds a unique claim to fame as the birthplace of the Society of United Irishmen. It was here, in 1791, that figures like Wolf Tone, Thomas Russell, and Henry Joy…

Continuing our exploration, we reach Wilson's Court, another historic passage that leads between Ann Street and High Street. This entry's main claim to fame is the Mermaid Cafe, which is housed in what is reputed to be one of the…

Finally, we pause at the site of Sugarhouse Entry. Unlike the others we have visited, this entry was almost entirely destroyed during the Belfast Blitz in April 1941. …

Our journey through the Belfast Entries has taken us through the hidden veins of the city’s history. From the revolutionary meetings of Crown Entry to the stagecoach stop at the Morning Star, these narrow lanes have witnessed the…