Ireland—

Belfast (from Irish: Béal Feirste, meaning "rivermouth of the sandbanks") is the capital and largest city of Northern Ire- land, and the second largest on the island of Ireland.On the River Lagan, it had a population of 333,871 in 2015.

By the early 1800s the former town was home to a major port. Belfast played a key role in the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, becoming the biggest linen producer in the world, earning it the nickname "Linenopolis". By the time it was granted city status in 1888, it was a major center of the Irish linen as well as tobacco-processing, rope-making and shipbuilding industries. Harland and Wolff, which built the RMS Titanic, was the world's biggest and most produc- tive shipyard. It later also sustained a major aerospace and missiles industry. Industrialization and the inward migra- tion it brought made Belfast Ireland's biggest city at the time. It became the capital of following the Partition of Ireland in 1922. Its status as a global industrial center ended in the decades after the Second World War. The city suffered greatly during the Troubles, and was once considered in the 1970s and 1980s as one of the world's most dangerous cities. In the 21st century the city has undergone a sustained period of calm, free from the intense political violence of former years, and substantial economic and commercial growth. Today, Belfast remains a center for industry, as well as the arts, higher education, business, and law, and is the economic engine of Northern Ireland. Belfast is still a major port, with commercial and industrial docks dominating the shoreline, including the Harland and Wolff shipyard. It is served by two airports: George Best Belfast City Airport in the city, and Belfast Interna- tional Airport 15 miles west of the city. The site of Belfast has been occupied since the Bronze Age. The Giant's Ring, a 5,000-year-old henge, is located near the city, and the remains of Iron Age hill forts can still be seen in the surrounding hills. Belfast remained a small settle- ment of little importance during the Middle Ages. John de Courcy built a castle on what is now Castle Street in the city center in the 12th century, but this was on a lesser scale and not as strategically important as Castle to the north, which was built by de Courcy in 1177. The O'Neill clan had a presence in the area. In the 14th century, Cloinne Aodha Buidhe, descendants of Aodh Buidhe O'Neill built Grey Castle at Castlereagh, now in the east of the city. Conn O'Neill of the Clannaboy O'Neills owned vast lands in the area and was the last inhabitant of Grey Castle. Belfast became a substantial settlement in the 17th century after being established as a town by Sir Arthur Chichester. It was initially settled by Protestant English and Scottish migrants at the time of the Plantation of Ulster. (Belfast and , however, did not form part of this particular Plantation scheme as they were privately colonized.) In 1791, the Society of United Irishmen was founded in Belfast, after Henry Joy McCracken and other prominent Presby- terians from the city invited Theobald Wolfe Tone and Thomas Russell to a meeting, after having read Tone's "Argument on Behalf of the Catholics of Ireland". Evidence of this period of Belfast's growth can still be seen in the oldest areas of the city, known as the Entries. Belfast blossomed as a commercial and industrial center in the 18th and 19th centuries and became Ireland's pre- eminent industrial city. Industries thrived, including linen, rope-making, tobacco, heavy engineering and shipbuilding, and at the end of the 19th century, Belfast briefly overtook Dublin as the largest city in Ireland. The Harland and Wolff shipyards became one of the largest shipbuilders in the world, employing up to 35,000 workers. In 1886 the city suffered intense riots over the issue of home rule, which had divided the city.[

In 1920–22, Belfast became the capital of the new entity of Northern Ireland as the island of Ireland was partitioned. The accompanying conflict (the Irish War of Independence) cost up to 500 lives in Belfast, the bloodiest sectarian strife in the city until the Troubles of the late 1960s onwards. Belfast was heavily bombed during World War II. In one raid, in 1941, German bombers killed around one thousand people and left tens of thousands homeless. Apart from London, this was the greatest loss of life in a night raid during the Blitz. Belfast has been the capital of Northern Ireland since its establishment in 1921 following the Government of Ireland Act 1920. It had been the scene of various episodes of sectarian conflict between its Catholic and Protestant popula- tions. These opposing groups in this conflict are now often termed republican and loyalist respectively, although they are also loosely referred to as 'nationalist' and 'unionist'. The most recent example of this conflict was known as the Troubles – a civil conflict that raged from around 1969 to 1998. Belfast saw some of the worst of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, particularly in the 1970s, with rival paramilitary groups formed on both sides. Bombing, assassination and street violence formed a backdrop to life throughout the Troubles. The Provisional IRA detonated 22 bombs within the confines of Belfast city center in 1972, on what is known as "Bloody Friday", killing eleven people. Loyalist paramilitaries including the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) claimed that the killings they carried out were in retaliation for the IRA cam- paign. Most of their victims were Catholics with no links to the Provisional IRA.A particularly notorious group, based on the Shankill Road in the mid-1970s, became known as the Shankill Butchers. In all, over 1,600 people were killed in political violence in the city between 1969 and 2001. Come and see for yourself these landscapes so magical they could be fantasy, from forbidden forests to sweeping gla- cial valleys. Take the captivating coastal road to see the Giant’s Causeway, one of Europe’s most celebrated natural wonders, or feel the spray from the other side of the Atlantic. When it comes to city life, there’s the colorful capital Belfast and fun-filled Derry - nicknamed “Legenderry” by locals. Whether you want to hit a golf ball around a world-class golf course or hit the pub for a ‘trad’ music session, you’re in for some great craic on the emerald isle. You can fly to Belfast from most British cities. Nicely blending the old and the new, Belfast owes some of its grandeur to Victorian architectural treasures such as Belfast City Hall, but this rejuvenated city has become quite the design destination, as a stroll around the arty Cathedral Quarter or the trendy new towers of the Titanic Quarter will show.

Titanic Belfast's innovative take on the RMS Titanic’s creation is a definite must-do, while a stay at the Titanic Ho- tel allows superb views of the Harland & Wolff shipyard from dawn until dusk. Just make sure to leave time to board the White Star’s only remaining ship, the SS Nomadic, before you leave.

Here's why Lonely Planet loves Northern Ire- land's capital city and its coastal getaway Lonely Planet has spoken! And it's voted Belfast and the Causeway Coast Best in Travel 2018. Hip restaurants serving cutting-edge cuisine, Titanic history re-enacted for eager 21st century explorers, and a buzzing energy thrumming underneath it all. This is Belfast, the epitome of great things coming in small packages. But the fun doesn’t stop at the city limits.

“Beyond Belfast lies the Causeway Coast, whose timeless beauty and high-grade distractions are more popular than ever. “ LONELY PLANET Travel north to the Causeway Coast and you'll discover land- scapes so dramatic they've wowed audiences of HBO’s fan- tasy hit Game of Thrones®. This is part of one of the world's great touring routes – the Causeway Coastal Route, which hugs the road between Belfast and Londonderry. And did we mention, this little slice of heaven can be served with some of the world’s finest whiskeys !

Royal Portrush Golf Club, located on the Causeway Coast will host the 148th playing of the world’s oldest and most prestigious golf tournament in July 2019.