The Belfast Entries are a series of historical narrow alleyways in the city centre of

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

, mostly in the vicinity of High Street and Ann Street. When the town was first laid out, these alleyways serviced dense residential and commercial development. The surviving examples retain pockets of historic development including many Victorian and pre-Victorian period

pubs A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

, some of which remain open for business to this day. Lonely Planet
/ref> Former Social Development Minister David Hanson described the Entries as the streets "where Belfast began and developed into the city it is today". NICS Press Release
/ref> Dating back to at least 1630 but most probably earlier than that, these entries are the oldest parts of Belfast city. The entries running north from High Street were largely destroyed during the

Belfast Blitz The Belfast Blitz consisted of four German air raids on strategic targets in the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland, in April and May 1941 during World War II, causing high casualties. The first was on the night of 78 April 1941, a small attack ...

in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Victorian Web
/ref> Despite this, some remain. In 2006 and 2007, a number of the Entries underwent environmental refurbishment to improve their condition.

The Entries

Pottinger's Entry

Pottinger's Entry ( ) connects Ann Street with High Street in almost a straight line. The principal attraction is a Victorian pub, The Morning Star. The arched entrance from Ann Street is also Victorian and was retained when the original building was demolished in the 1990s. This entrance is a popular spot for buskers. This is undoubtedly the most obvious of the Entries, featuring large wrought-iron signs above each entrance archway.

Winecellar Entry

A small Entry just off Lombard Street, Winecellar Entry is home to White's Tavern, a

pub A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

founded in 1630. Whilst considered to be the longest serving pub in Belfast, it has managed to retain much of its authenticity.

Crown Entry

Crown Entry is medium-sized and connects Ann Street to High Street.

Joy's Entry

Joy's Entry is particularly narrow and connects Ann Street to High Street. It has several pubs, including Henry’s and The Jailhouse. The Entry takes its name from the Joy family who were prominent 18th century residents of the city, including Francis Joy, founder of ''

The Belfast News Letter The ''News Letter'' is one of Northern Ireland's main daily newspapers, published from Monday to Saturday. It is the world's oldest English-language general daily newspaper still in publication, having first been printed in 1737. The newspape ...

'', and his grandson

Henry Joy McCracken Henry Joy McCracken (31 August 1767 – 17 July 1798) was an Irish republican, a leading member of the Society of the United Irishmen and a commander of their forces in the field in the Rebellion of 1798. In pursuit of an independent and democrat ...

, after whom the pub is named.

Wilson's Court

An Entry just off Ann Street.

Castle Arcade

Castle Arcade, although a historic route, now lacks character due to the modern buildings on either side. It cuts diagonally from Cornmarket/High Street to Castle Lane. Several large historical photographs of the Entry are permanently displayed on the walls.

Sugar House Entry

Running parallel to Bridge Street from north side of High Street, it is now nothing more than a service access and is no longer a through route. Kremlin Associates Ltd purchased the former War Memorial Building on Waring Street in 2015. They plan to convert the building into a hotel and have proposed re-establishing Sugarhouse Entry as part of that development.

References

{{reflist

External links

Morning Star pub
Streets in Belfast History of Belfast