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There was a time when dark alleyways in Belfast were best avoided. While I wouldn’t want to suggest that Belfast has suddenly become a damper version of Disney Land, one of the unexpected benefits of the Victoria Square development is the rejuvenation of the streets surrounding the big glass dome. It appears that if you pour millions into one corner of the city the magic spills over into the surrounding area. In recent years some of the streets surrounding Victoria Square were looking a bit neglected with lots of vacant units and a general air of fatigue. With the arrival of £2000 handbags, an apple store and that lovely glass dome there has been a huge influx of shoppers to the area and suddenly it’s transformed.  Of course credit is also due to Belfast City Council and the Department of Social Development who have spent significant time and money on the project to improve “Belfast’s historic entries”.

The entries or alleyways are at the heart of Belfast’s heritage and the refurbishment includes some beautiful artwork and signage explaining the importance of the entries to Belfast’s past. Don’t get me wrong, you might still get a whiff of stale piss early on a Saturday morning, but the entries are well worth a visit if you’re in the area. and want to combine some cultural tourism with the shopping. I regualrly use them to cut across town and it’s great to discover something of the hidden Belfast. You never know what you’ll see in this part of town. On one of these trips through the entries I bumped into Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins who was placing a bet and having a pint.

The picture above is of Joy’s Entry. I posted it on flickr and commented that I thought it needed a person, but a couple of kind fellow flickrs thought it was good as it was. Flickr user TB Steve has a beautiful version of Joy’s Entry from a slightly different angle and helpfully adds some information about the origins of the name:

“Joy’s Entry is named after Francis Joy, who founded the Belfast News Letter in 1737.
Henry Joy McCracken, grandson of Francis, was executed in 1798 for his part in the insurrection of the United Irishmen.”

Any other entry fans out there?