As I was training to be a tour guide in Belfast in 2021, my father-in-law gave me a small pamphlet by Norman Ballentine titled Belfast Official Tourist Handbook produced by Belfast City Council in 1969 just before the outbreak of the Troubles. It was fascinating to see how the city was marketing itself, how it saw its future and what sites may have attracted tourists.
Before the Troubles cast their long shadow over Northern Ireland, Belfast in 1969 stood as a confident and industrious capital city, eager to present itself to visitors with charm, modernity and warmth. As Lord Mayor Joseph Foster Cairnsproudly stated in his foreword, Belfast ‘although primarily an industrial city has to offer for their [visitors’] enjoyment and delight’ a ‘wide variety of amenities’ in a setting where ‘the rich beauty of the Ulster countryside is but a short journey from the hustle and bustle of the City centre’ (p.3). Produced in a time of civic optimism, the Belfast Official Tourist Handbook provided a snapshot of the city before history turned.
Belfast’s setting was, and remains, a defining feature. The city was ‘grouped around a castle surrounded by slob land and swamp near the mouth of the River Lagan’ (p.7), but by 1969 had become a city of nearly 400,000 people, growing from its ‘dogged determination’ and ‘industrial know-how and ambition’ (p.7). Shipyards, linen mills and engineering firms dominated the skyline, though a new Belfast was rising amidst the old.
Donegall Square remained the civic heart, where the grand Edwardian City Hall – ‘known the world over for the beauty of its interior of Italian marble and the gracious lines of its exterior design’ – took pride of place (p.11). Around it, a juxtaposition of styles emerged: ‘blocks erected within the last few years of Portland stone and stainless steel and glass blend happily with equally dignified nineteenth-century buildings of warm sandstone’ (p.11).
The cultural landscape was equally rich. The Ulster Museum in the Botanic Gardens had been extended, now ‘a fascinating blend of the old and the new which is an inherent part of the physical character of Belfast itself’ (p.13). Queen’s University, described as ‘one of Belfast’s most beautiful public buildings’ (p.13), resisted expansion onto its lawns, instead acquiring new land to house facilities like the Medical Biology Centre and the Students’ Union.
Markets offered a different flavour of Belfast. Smithfield was a place ‘where many of the animals live outdoors in a natural environment’ (p.19), while the Variety Market was full of ‘characterful dealers who sell everything from old iron to old silver’ (p.15). These places were not just commercial zones but living museums of Belfast’s character.
Green spaces played a major role in the city’s appeal. Ormeau Park, allegedly won or lost in a poker game, had been open to the public since 1871 and remained ‘one of the most popular parks in the city’ (p.19). At the northern end, the Castle Estate, Hazelwood and Bellevue formed a scenic trinity. Belfast Castle ‘stands grandly on the slopes of the Cave Hill in a heavily wooded public park of great charm’ (p.11), while Bellevue offered summer amusements and even a zoo, accessible via ‘specially designed, open buses’ (p.19).
Food and drink had also undergone a revolution. ‘The eating-out habit has caught on so definitely’ that pubs, restaurants and hotels began to flourish across the city and suburbs (p.23). Traditional Ulster fare – ‘Irish stews, soda and wheaten farls… potato bread and hot buttered scones’ – was served alongside Chinese and Continental dishes (p.23). Remarkably, ‘you can still get a good three-course meal… for less than five shillings’ (p.23).
Getting around was straightforward. The M1 and M2 motorways, alongside the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, were ‘planned to fit into an overall scheme which will take the heart out of Belfast and replace it with a new one’ (p.13). One-way systems and dual carriageways ‘keep traffic flowing smoothly’ (p.25), and ‘driving in and around Belfast [was] more of a pleasure than an ordeal’ (p.27).
Belfast’s industrial core remained strong. Short Brothers and Harland led in aviation technology, while firms like Gallaher and James Mackie exported globally. The port had grown to ‘approximately eight miles of quays’ and was among the busiest in the UK, handling over two million tons of cargo annually (p.31).
Religious life was just as diverse. The city hosted ’66 Presbyterian Churches, 55 Church of Ireland, 35 Methodist, 25 Catholic’ among others (p.33). Notable places included St Anne’s Cathedral, Carlisle Memorial Church and the Martyrs’ Memorial, the latter completed only in 1969 and representing the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster (p.33).
Belfast’s cultural institutions continued to flourish. The Ulster Orchestra gave concerts at the Ulster Hall and supported local opera societies (p.29). Theatres such as the Lyric and Group Theatre presented Irish and international drama. Meanwhile, the Arts Council Gallery offered exhibitions and booking services for ‘the very best in entertainment of all kinds’ during the annual arts festival (p.29).
In 1969, visitors encountered a city full of energy and promise – ‘a completely new city growing out of the old… being designed to fit more comfortably into a twenty-first century concept’ (p.9). It was a time when the future seemed bright, the past was still proudly visible, and Belfast stood ready to show the world what it had to offer.
