On this day, the concerns of many Belfast citizens and their leaders were anywhere but the war. In the House of Commons, Reverend Dr James Little, MP for Down, opposed a government regulation that opened cinemas and places of entertainment for soldiers…
Elisabeth McCullough was a Belfast school girl aged 13 living in East Belfast. During 1941, she kept a diary of events. On 31 March 1941, she wrote a short entry: ‘Did lessons We sunk three Italian cruisers and two destroyers…
Life in Belfast continued for many as it had done for much of the interwar period. People went about their daily business without much regard for the war. Doreen Bates, a tax official, had moved to Belfast from London. Since…
BELFAST By 29 March the German Blitz against British cities had been running for nearly seven months. Many had expected a raid by none had come. On Thursday 13th March 1941, over 200 bombed Clydeside in Glasgow, slightly further north…
[Press release put out today, 28.3.22] As Belfast commemorates the 81st anniversary of the Blitz, a local historian uncovers previously little-known stories behind the air raids. The bombing is arguably the biggest single disaster in the city’s 400-year history. But…
Flyer produced this morning for the tours. Information here for those who are interested:
The two great canary yellow-painted gantry cranes are icons of the Belfast city skyline are known as Samson and Goliath. Goliath is the smaller crane measuring 96m (315ft) high began work in 1969 and Samson, the larger at 106m (348ft),…
On the Western Front Association’s Mentioned in Dispatches podcast that I present, I recorded an interesting interview relevant to the history of Belfast. I talk to historian and author Brian Feeney about his latest book, Antrim and the Irish Revolution,…
On the former Robinson and Cleaver department store building on Donegall Square opposite the City Hall are a series of carved heads set between the 1st and 2nd floor (see red circles). These images were of leading store patrons, celebrities…
I’m delighted to announce that to mark the 81st anniversary of the 1941 Belfast Blitz, I will lead 4 walking tours will be held in April & May 2022 to tell Belfast’s story of raids. Tickets can be booked for…
