BELFAST CASTLE
Nine Cats and Views of Belfast Lough
Belfast Castle, set in the hillside slopes of the Cavehill County Park is more
19th Century revival manor house than castle, a genteel replacement for
the original castle of Belfast. The first castle was built in the 1600’s
by Sir Arthur Chichester, the Lord Deputy of Ireland on the site of an
earlier Norman fortress which originally stood in the center of what is
now Belfast City where the beautiful City Hall commands High Street. Chichester
was a leading figure in the Plantation of Ulster after the "Flight of the
Earls" of 1607 and named the Baron of Belfast when it was a relatively
modest settlement in the backwater of the bay. Establishing his influence
in the
north he was a major force in the founding and expansion of Belfast which
began its growth to the capital it is today.
The original castle was destroyed by a devastating fire in 1708. Rather than
rebuild the old place in the middle of the growing industrial city, the
Chichester descendants picked out a spot in the suburban hills with a commanding
view of the city below and waters of the long Belfast Lough to build a
new estate. The Belfast Castle which stands today is the 19th Century
manor house built by the 3rd Marquess of Donegal, begun on the site about
1860 and completed in 1870. The mansion was built in the Scottish Baronial
style inspired by the royal castle at Balmoral. The castle was designed
by Belfast based architect Charles Lanyon, and given over to the city in
1934 by the the 9th Earl of Shaftesbury.
The castle has a square tower of six floors with corner turrets, with an entrance portico in the Jacobean style. A beautiful external Italianate Renaissance revival spiral staircase to the garden terrace was added in 1894. The castle today is used mostly for events, rented out for weddings and private banquets. The Terrace Gardens offer stunning views of the city and bay when the weather is good. The garden is called the “Cat Garden” for the legend that good fortune will come to those who visit the castle as long as there is a cat at the castle. The story goes that there has always been a white cat roaming around the grounds, so the garden has nine different kinds of cats hidden about to find and count like a feline “Where’s Waldo” puzzle, keeping the kids occupied. For more photos see Favorite Castles in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
A few of the rooms of the upper floors are open to visitors. The Cellar Restaurant in the basement is cozy and styled with the flavor of the Victorian age when the castle was first built. The Castle Tavern bar is open Friday and Saturday nights from 8pm to 10 pm with live music. On the ground floor are an antique and book shop, a small museum and visitor’s center. © Bargain
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Belfast Castle
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