The Titanic Quarter and City Hall

Today we toured City Hall and explored the old Harland and Wolf yards where Titanic was built.
I've "borrowed" this from the City Hall website.

For centuries, Belfast had been a small settlement. Everything changed in 1613, when a Royal charter gave the city town status. Belfast expanded rapidly as a result, becoming an important port and manufacturing centre. By the end of the 19th century, Belfast had outgrown its status as a town and was a major industrial powerhouse, known for its shipbuilding, ropemaking, engineering, tobacco and textile industries. In 1888, Queen Victoria gave Belfast the title of city and it was generally agreed that a new city hall was needed to reflect this change in status.

Building work

Negotiations to acquire the one and a half acre White Linen Hall site, located in Donegall Square, began in 1896 and a price of £30,000 was agreed. The new hall was built by local firm H+J Martin, following a design from Alfred Brumwell Thomas, who won a public competition with his classical Renaissance design. Funding for the new building was raised from the profits of Belfast Gasworks for which Belfast Corporation (now Belfast City Council) had responsibility. The first stone was laid in 1898 and work was completed eight years later. In total, Belfast City Hall cost less than £500,000 to build.

Opening of Belfast City Hall

Belfast City Hall opened it`s doors on 1 August 1906 during a great time of prosperity for the city. The magnificent building is a lasting memorial to Belfast`s success and is a great source of civic pride.

Functions of Belfast City Hall
Today, the City Hall`s functions include:

* hosting the 51 members of the Council on the first working day of every month
* providing tours of its facilities for tourists and members of the public
* hosting public exhibitions, such as ` No Mean City` photographic exhibit
* providing registration services and marriage and civil partnership ceremonies
* hosting civic events.

Belfast Coat of Arms

Image: Belfast City crest The present Belfast Coat of Arms dates from 30 June 1890 when the Ulster King of Arms made a Grant of Arms to the new city of Belfast. The motto 'Pro tranto quid retribuamus' comes from Psalm CXVI (116), verse 12 of the Bible. Translated from the Latin, it means 'what return shall we make for so much'. The precise origins and meanings of the symbols contained on the Coat of Arms are unknown. However, images such as the bell, the seahorse, the ship and the chained wolf were all used by 17th century Belfast merchants on their signs and coinage. The seahorse, which is used twice, shows the maritime importance of Belfast, as does the ship at the base of the shield.

The name 'Belfast' also originates from the Gaelic 'Beal Feirste', which means 'mouth of the river'.

The Titanic Quarter is an area of the city that Belfast is rebuilding and reclaiming. At one point H & W was the largest make of steam ships in the world. Belfastians to this day are proud that they were the ones to build the Titanic, and they'll take pains to remind you that they were not the ones to sink it. The captain did and he was not from there. Now this area is used for film sets and history tours.