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The Falls Road () is the main road through West
Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...
,
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
, running from Divis Street in Belfast City Centre to
Andersonstown Andersonstown, known colloquially as Andytown, is a suburb of west Belfast, Northern Ireland, at the foot of the Black Mountain and Divis Mountain. It contains a mixture of public and private housing and is largely a working-class area with a ...
in the suburbs. The name has been synonymous for at least a century and a half with the Catholic community in the city. The road is usually referred to as ''the'' Falls Road, rather than as Falls Road. It is known in Irish as the ''Bóthar na bhFál'' and as the ''Faas Raa'' in Ulster-Scots.


Location

The Falls Road forms the first three miles of the A501 which starts in Belfast city centre and runs southwest through the city forking just after the Falls Park into the B102 which continues for a short distance to
Andersonstown Andersonstown, known colloquially as Andytown, is a suburb of west Belfast, Northern Ireland, at the foot of the Black Mountain and Divis Mountain. It contains a mixture of public and private housing and is largely a working-class area with a ...
. The A501 continues as the Glen Road. The area is composed largely of residential housing, with more public sector housing in the lower sections of the road. There are many small shops lining the road as well as schools, churches, hospitals and leisure facilities. Employment in the area was originally dominated by the large linen mills but these have mostly closed. Today, local employment is in the service sector, health and education with additional employment in other parts of the city. The Falls Road district can be roughly divided into three sections. The Lower Falls which includes Divis Street starts near the city centre and continues to the junction with the Grosvenor Road. The middle Falls district centres on Beechmount. The Upper Falls starts about the Donegall Road and continues into Andersonstown. The short stretch of the road from the city centre to the start of Divis Street at Millfield is known as Castle Street after the former
Belfast Castle Belfast Castle (Irish language, Irish: ''Caisleán Bhéal Feirste''Ireland Highlights: Belfast Castle. https://www.irelandhighlights.com/info/belfast-castle/ ) is a mansion located in Cavehill, Cave Hill Country Park in Belfast, Northern Ireland ...
which was built nearby by the
Normans The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; ; ) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and locals of West Francia. The Norse settlements in West Franc ...
in the 12th century. Castle Street begins at the junction with
Royal Avenue Royal Avenue is a street in the heart of Belfast city centre, Northern Ireland. It runs for about 500 metres from the junction with Castle Place and Donegall Place to the junction with Donegall Street. It lies between the Cathedral Quarter, Bel ...
and Donegall Place, the main shopping district of Belfast. Two large buildings flank either side of the entrance to the street. On one side is the Bank Buildings and on the other is the former home of the Anderson & McAuley department store. Near the start of Castle Street is Chapel Lane on which St. Mary's Church is situated. This is the oldest
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
church in Belfast and dates from 1784. Nearby on Bank Street is located the historic Kelly's Cellars bar which dates from 1720. Opposite was located ''St. Mary's Hall'', a popular social venue which was constructed in 1875 but demolished in 1990. Bank Street begins at Royal Avenue. The ornate building at its entrance was the former home of the Provincial Bank of Ireland which was erected in 1869. When it closed in 1989, the building was occupied until 2021 by a
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store. It was then refurbished as a social facility by
Belfast City Council Belfast City Council () is the Local government in Northern Ireland, local authority with responsibility for part of Belfast, the largest city of Northern Ireland. The council serves an estimated population of (), the largest of any district c ...
.


History

The Falls Road derives its name from the Irish ''
túath ''Túath'' (plural ''túatha'') is the Old Irish term for the basic political and jurisdictional unit of Gaelic Ireland. ''Túath'' can refer to both a geographical territory as well the people who lived in that territory. The smallest ''túath ...
na bhFál'', an Irish
petty kingdom A petty kingdom is a kingdom described as minor or "petty" (from the French 'petit' meaning small) by contrast to an empire or unified kingdom that either preceded or succeeded it (e.g. the numerous kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England unified into t ...
whose name means "territory of the enclosures". These enclosures resulted from the
Plantation of Ulster The Plantation of Ulster (; Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster Scots: ) was the organised Settler colonialism, colonisation (''Plantation (settlement or colony), plantation'') of Ulstera Provinces of Ireland, province of Irelandby people from Great ...
which occurred from the seventeenth century. This territory was roughly the same as that of the
ecclesiastical parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...
of the Shankill, which spanned a large portion of modern-day Belfast. The Falls Road itself was originally a country lane leading from the city centre but a largely Catholic population—refugees from a rural poverty that been intensified by Belfast's mechanisation of what had been a cottage textile industry and, in the 1840s, by
famine A famine is a widespread scarcity of food caused by several possible factors, including, but not limited to war, natural disasters, crop failure, widespread poverty, an Financial crisis, economic catastrophe or government policies. This phenom ...
—was drawn to the area by the prospects for female and child employment in new linen mills. All of these mills have now closed or have been repurposed. This original area, which was centred on the junction of modern-day Millfield and College Avenue on what is now Divis Street, was known as Falls and lent its name to the road. which had previously been called ''The Pound''. The housing in the area developed in the 19th century and was organised in narrow streets of small terraced housing. The Westlink linking the M1 and M2 motorways now cuts through this area.


Lower Falls

This section of the road stretches from the junction of Castle Street and Millfield to the Grosvenor Road/ Springfield Road intersection. The lower part of the road is named Divis Street after the Divis mountain which overlooks much of West Belfast. The Falls Road proper begins at the junction with Northumberland Street and Albert Street. The area to the south of Divis Street/Lower Falls Road was considered the heart of the district and was initially composed of rows of small terraced houses which were constructed in the mid to late nineteenth century to house mill workers and their families. The area is detailed in the 1931 Ordnance Survey map of the area. Shortly after Millfield, the road crosses over the Westlink (A12) which links three motorways - the M1 to the southwest of the city, the M2 to the north and the M3 to the east. Running alongside the Westlink is Townsend Street which originally marked the end of Belfast. Townsend Street links Divis Street with Peter's Hill at the bottom of the Shankill Road.


Housing

The housing in the area developed in the 19th century and was organised in narrow streets of small terraced housing. Many of the streets were named after local mill owners. Alexander Street West was named after John Alexander who was a local mill owner. He also named Milford Street after Milford Mills, County Carlow where he had a house. Ardmoulin Street was named after Ardmoulin House, the residence of John Chartres of Falls Flax and Weaving Company. Craig Street was called after the Craig family who owned the New Northern Mill at the corner of Northumberland Street. By the 1960s the buildings in the area had decayed considerably and the
Belfast Corporation Belfast City Council () is the local authority with responsibility for part of Belfast, the largest city of Northern Ireland. The council serves an estimated population of (), the largest of any district council in Northern Ireland, while bein ...
introduced a major development plan which involved wholescale demolition of much of the area. Many of the old street names were retained in the new housing development. In the Divis Street area, the housing was replaced with the Divis Flats complex which consisted of twelve blocks of flats built on top of the historic district formerly known as the ''Pound Loney''. The high point of this redevelopment was Divis Tower. Because of its rapid deterioration, the whole complex, except for Divis Tower, was demolished thirty years later and replaced with blocks of terraced housing. Past Albert Street, more mills were built on the northern side and more streets of small terraced houses on the southern side. The old streets were named after characters and events in the
Crimean War The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...
(1853–1856) which was occurring at that time. These include Raglan Street (named after Lord Raglan, commander of British forces in the Crimean War), Garnet Street (after
Garnet Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley Field Marshal Garnet Joseph Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley (4 June 183325 March 1913) was an Anglo-Irish officer in the British Army. He became one of the most influential British generals after a series of victories in Canada, West Africa and E ...
), Alma Street (after the
Battle of Alma The Battle of the Alma (short for Battle of the Alma River) took place during the Crimean War between an allied expeditionary force (made up of French, British, and Ottoman forces) and Russian forces defending the Crimean Peninsula on 20Septe ...
), Balaklava Street (after the Battle of Balaklava), Inkerman Street (after the Battle of Inkerman), Sevastopol Street (after the Siege of Sevastopol), Plevna Street (after the Siege of Plevna), Varna Street (after the
Siege of Varna Siege of Varna may refer to: * Siege of Varna (1201), during the Byzantine–Bulgarian wars * Storming of Varna (1773), during the Russo-Turkish War of 1768–1774 * Siege of Varna (1828), during the Russo-Turkish War of 1828–1829 {{Disambiguati ...
) as well as Omar Street (after Omar Pasha) and Osman Street (after Osman Nuri Paşa). There were also streets named after Balkan places such as Bosnia Street, Balkan Street, Roumania Street and Servia Street. Other streets were named after contemporary political and royal figures such as Peel Street (after
Robert Peel Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet (5 February 1788 – 2 July 1850), was a British Conservative statesman who twice was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1834–1835, 1841–1846), and simultaneously was Chancellor of the Exchequer (1834–183 ...
) and Albert Street (named after
Prince Albert Prince Albert most commonly refers to: *Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1819–1861), consort of Queen Victoria *Albert II, Prince of Monaco (born 1958), present head of state of Monaco Prince Albert may also refer to: Royalty * Alb ...
). Marchioness Street and Lady Street are probably named after Lady Dufferin, the Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava, originally from Killyleagh, who had been the
Vicereine of India The governor-general of India (1833 to 1950, from 1858 to 1947 the viceroy and governor-general of India, commonly shortened to viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom in their capacity as the emperor o ...
(1884–1888). These street names are recalled in the collection of poetry ''The Irish for No'' by
Ciaran Carson Ciaran Gerard Carson ( Irish: ''Ciarán Gearóid Mac Carráin''; 9 October 1948 – 6 October 2019) was a Northern Ireland-born poet and novelist. Early life and education Ciaran Carson was born on 9 October 1948 in Belfast Belfast ...
. In one of the poems entitled "The Exiles' Club", Carson imagines a group of Belfast exiles: :''After years they have reconstructed the whole of the Falls Road, and now'' :''Are working on the back streets: Lemon, Peel and Omar, Balaclava, Alma.'' All of these houses have now been demolished and replaced with modern terraced houses. At the foot of Divis Street is located the Morning Star House. This is a hostel which provides temporary accommodation for homeless people. It is run by the
Legion of Mary The Legion of Mary (, post-nominal letters, postnominal abbreviation L.O.M.) is an international association of members of the Catholic Church who serve on a Voluntary association, voluntary basis. It was founded in Dublin, as a Roman Catholic ...
and was originally located at the corner of Percy Street. Additional accommodation for homeless people is provided nearby by First Housing at Ardmoulin Mews, off Ardmoulin Street.


Schools

At the foot of Divis Street is located the Millfield campus of
Belfast Metropolitan College Belfast Metropolitan College, also known as Belfast Met, is a further and higher education institution in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The college offers both vocational education and academic qualifications. With over 37,000 enrolments and an a ...
, the largest further and higher education college in Northern Ireland. Nearby was located the original St. Mary's Christian Brothers' Grammar School. In the 1960s, this school transferred to a greenfield site on the Glen Road in the upper Falls. The original school building is now the home of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust. Opposite is ''St. Mary's Primary School''. Nearby is the location of the ''Árd Scoil'' which was historically the centre for Irish language and culture in the area. Just past it was located the Hastings Street RUC station. There are currently two other primary schools in the Lower Falls district. These are ''St. Peter's'' on Ross Road and ''St. Joseph's'' on Slate Street. In addition, there is the Irish language ''Gaelscoil an Lonnáin'' which occupies the site of St Finian's Primary School at the top end of Leeson Street. St Finian's School and the nearby ''St. Gall's Primary School'' closed in the late twentieth century due to declining student numbers. These schools were run by the
De La Salle Christian Brothers The De La Salle Brothers, officially named the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (; ; ) abbreviated FSC, is a Catholic lay religious congregation of pontifical right for men founded in France by Jean-Baptiste de La Salle ( ...
. The name of the latter school survives in the name of St. Galls' Avenue. ''St Comgall's Public Elementary School'', in Divis Street, opened in 1932 but closed in 1988. It has been transformed into a community hub for a range of community and business activities and is involved in the development of a ''Visitor Heritage Interpretation Space'' for the area. The centre is named ''Ionad (Centre) Eileen Howell'' after a local community activist. The ''Falls Community Council'' (Comhairle Phobail na bhFal) is based in the centre. It provides a range of local services and is committed to the regeneration of the area. ''St. Brendan's Primary School'' on nearby Milford Street closed in the 1960s but for two years housed some pupils from St. Mary's Christian Brothers' Grammar School which at that time had exceeded its capacity in its Barrack Street premises. The ''Dunlewey Centre'' is located near Gaelscoil an Lonnáin. The building was originally the home of the
Bon Secours Sisters The Congregation of the Sisters of Bon Secours is an international Roman Catholic women's religious congregation for nursing (''gardes malades''), whose declared mission is to care for those who are sick and dying. It was founded by Josephine Pot ...
and also housed ''St. Vincent's Primary School for Girls''. It is a now the home of a community education centre. Dunlewey Street on which it is located is named after the residence of a local mill owner, William Ross, who owned a house in Dunlewey, County Donegal. The nearby Ross Road is also named after William Ross.


Churches

The churches in the Lower Falls district reflect the changing demographics of the area. There are three Catholic churches in the area. The oldest is St. Mary's Church which opened in 1784 (see above). St Peter's Cathedral is located just off Albert Street. This was originally a parish church built for the expanding Catholic population in the area and opened in 1866. It was designed by Fr Jeremiah Ryan McAulay, who had trained as an architect before he became a priest, and built on a site donated by a local baker, Bernard Hughes. It became the cathedral church for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Down and Connor and the episcopal seat of the Bishop of Down and Connor in 1986. It is home to St Peter's Schola Cantorum (Choir). Clonard monastery, the home of the
Redemptorist The Redemptorists, officially named the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (), abbreviated CSsR, is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of pontifical right for men (priests and brothers). It was founded by Alphonsus Liguori at Scal ...
religious order, is located near the junction with Springfield Road. The church formally opened in 1911 replacing a small church which opened in 1897. Father Alec Reid who played an important role in the
Northern Ireland peace process The Northern Ireland peace process includes the events leading up to the 1994 Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) ceasefire, the end of most of the violence of the Troubles, the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, and subsequent political develop ...
was based here. There were/are seven Protestant churches which were/are largely located on the edges of the area and their congregations were/are mostly drawn from neighbouring districts. All but one of the older churches have been closed, repurposed or demolished since the onset of the Troubles and the establishment of the
peace lines The peace lines or peace walls are a series of separation barriers in Northern Ireland that separate predominantly Irish republican or nationalist Catholic neighbourhoods from predominantly British loyalist or unionist Protestant neigh ...
. There were three
Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland (, ; , ) is a Christian church in Ireland, and an autonomy, autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the Christianity in Ireland, second-largest Christian church on the ...
churches. ''St. Luke's Church'' (1863–2006) on Northumberland Street, was the
Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland (, ; , ) is a Christian church in Ireland, and an autonomy, autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the Christianity in Ireland, second-largest Christian church on the ...
church for the Lower Falls. When it closed its congregation amalgamated with ''St. Stephen's Church'' in Millfield at the foot of Divis Street. This church which opened in 1856 was designed by Sir Thomas Drew who also designed St. Anne's Cathedral and many other churches. ''St Philips Church (Drew Memorial)'' opened on the Grosvenor Road in 1870. It was named after the fiery preacher Rev. Dr. Thomas Drew who hailed from
Limerick Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...
and became a very influential clergyman when he moved to Belfast. It closed in 1994 and the church congregation merged with that of ''St. Simon's Church'' on the Donegall Road. A war memorial from the church is preserved in the Somme Museum,
Newtownards Newtownards (; ) is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies at the most northern tip of Strangford Lough, 10 miles (16 km) east of Belfast, on the Ards Peninsula. It is in the Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish of Newtow ...
. The church was sold to Dwyer's Gaelic Athletic Club who built their clubrooms on the site. There were two
Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
churches. The largest was located on the other side of the
peace wall The peace lines or peace walls are a series of separation barriers in Northern Ireland that separate predominantly Irish republican or nationalist Catholic neighbourhoods from predominantly British loyalist or unionist Protestant neigh ...
dividing Townsend Street which links Divis Street with Peter's Hill, the lower
Shankill Road The Shankill Road () is one of the main roads leading through West Belfast, in Northern Ireland. It runs through the working-class, predominantly loyalist, area known as the Shankill. The road stretches westwards for about from central Belfast ...
. It opened in 1878 and formally closed in 2022 when it was taken over as a rehearsal space by the
Ulster Orchestra The Ulster Orchestra is a full-time professional orchestra in Northern Ireland. Based in Belfast, the orchestra plays the majority of its concerts in Belfast's Ulster Hall and Waterfront Hall. It also gives concerts across the United Kingdom ...
. Nearby was located the ''Soho Foundry'' established by Robert Shipboy MacAdam in 1846. It is now an enterprise centre. There was also a Presbyterian church in Albert Street (1852–1972) where one of the ministers was the Rev. Henry Montgomery who helped establish the Shankill Road Mission in 1896. The ''Maureen Sheehan Centre'' is now located on the site of the church. The centre is named after a local community nurse who was killed in a nearby car accident. Four sculptures from the church are featured in the facade of the centre. There was also a
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...
church in Divis Street (1850–1966). This church was designed by Charles Lanyon and was the original home of the Falls Road Orange Lodge. A recent addition is the ''New Life City Church'' which is located on Northumberland Street on the peace line marking the separation of the Falls Road and the Shankill Road. It is an
Elim Pentecostal Church The Elim Pentecostal Church is a UK-based Pentecostal Christian denomination. It was founded in Ireland in 1915 by George Jeffreys and is the second-largest Pentecostal denomination in the UK. History George Jeffreys (1889–1962), a Welshm ...
.


Commercial facilities

The Lower Falls area previously had many linen mills. These have either been demolished or converted for other purposes. The Twin Spires Complex has replaced the demolished massive mill of the New Northern Spinning and Weaving Company (Craig's Mill) which was located at the corner of Northumberland Street. The new complex consists of shops, offices and small industrial units. On the corner of Conway Street was located Greeves' Mill (original owner Thomas Greeves of Strandtown, Belfast) and also the Conway Mill (original owner James Kennedy of nearby Clonard). Originally a flax spinning mill, it now houses a community enterprise of small businesses, art studios, retail space and education floor. It also houses the Irish Republican History Museum. Finally, Ross's Mill was located on Clonard Street with an entrance at the top of Sevastopol Street. It has been demolished and replaced by housing but its name survives in the street name Ross Mill Avenue. There are still two large flour mills located in the lower Falls district. Near the bottom of Divis Street is located Neill's Flour Mill which is entered via College Square North. This mill was originally a small stone mill but was taken over by James Neill in 1867 who converted it into a roller mill in 1880. This mill grew in size and in the 1960s it became part of Allied Mills which in turn became part of
Associated British Foods Associated British Foods plc (ABF) is a British multinational food processing and retailing company headquartered in London, England. Its ingredients division is the world's second-largest producer of both sugar and baker's yeast and a major pr ...
. The original mill was then demolished and rebuilt in 1986–7. Between Northumberland Street and Percy Street is located Andrews Flour Mill. The mill was originally developed in 1895 by the Andrews family from Comber, County Down. J. M. Andrews was the second Prime Minister of Northern Ireland (1940–1943). Northumberland Street and Percy Street were named after
Hugh Percy, 3rd Duke of Northumberland Hugh Percy, 3rd Duke of Northumberland (20 April 178511 February 1847), styled Earl Percy until 1817, was a British aristocrat and Tory politician who served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland under the Duke of Wellington from 1829 to 1830. Backgr ...
who was the
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (), or more formally Lieutenant General and General Governor of Ireland, was the title of the chief governor of Ireland from the Williamite Wars of 1690 until the Partition of Ireland in 1922. This spanned the K ...
1829–1830. Percy Street was badly damaged in 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 atta ...
(1941) and 30 people were killed when a bomb hit a shelter. In August 1969, Percy Street and the neighbouring Dover Street were the location for major disturbance when a large crowd of Loyalists from the Shankill Road end attempted to invade Divis Street. Houses in the street were attacked and the residents fled (see 1969 Northern Ireland riots). These mills recruited workers from both the Falls and Shankill Roads. The ''Hungarian Flour Mill'' was a large eight-storey flour mill situated at the foot of Divis Street. It was erected in the nineteeth century by Bernard Hughes. The mill burned down in a fire in 1966.


Leisure facilities

The ''Falls Leisure Centre'' is located in the lower Falls district. It currently offers a range of leisure facilities including a swimming pool, sauna and steam rooms, a gym, and a badminton court. It was originally the location of the ''Falls Public Baths'' where local residents could avail of washing and swimming facilities. On 16 April 1941, it was the site of a temporary morgue following 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 atta ...
. This is described in the novel '' The Emperor of Ice-Cream'' by the novelist Brian Moore. One of three Carnegie libraries built in Belfast is situated in the lower Falls Road. It opened on 1 January 1908 and is the last Carnegie library in Belfast still functioning as a library. Opposite was located the ''Clonard Picture House'' which closed in 1966. The ''Diamond Picture House'' at the corner of Cupar Street closed in 1959. The ''Arcadian Cinema'' on Albert Street opened in 1912 but closed in 1960. At the junction with Grosvenor Road is located Dunville Park which was first opened in 1893. It was funded by Robert G Dunville, the owner of the nearby Dunville & Co whiskey distillery. who also funded the large fountain at the centre of the park which was designed by the English sculptor Arthur Ernest Pearce. Sorella Street at the foot of the park is named after the Sorella Trust which was established by Robert's uncle William Dunville who named the trust after his sister (sorella in Italian) Sarah. The park has recently been refurbished and includes a football pitch. Nearby are located the clubrooms of Davitt's
GAC Gac or GAC may refer to: *Gấc, pronounced �ək̚˧˦ a Southeast Asian fruit of the species ''Momordica cochinchinensis'' *Gać (disambiguation), a common Polish place-name Acronyms Companies and organisations * GAC Group, a Chinese automo ...
and Dwyer's
GAC Gac or GAC may refer to: *Gấc, pronounced �ək̚˧˦ a Southeast Asian fruit of the species ''Momordica cochinchinensis'' *Gać (disambiguation), a common Polish place-name Acronyms Companies and organisations * GAC Group, a Chinese automo ...
. A strong working class community, the Lower Falls has a history of storytelling, music and song which was often enjoyed in the many public houses in the area. These included such establishments as the ''Old House'' (famous for its folk music sessions), ''McGeown's'', the ''West End Bar'' (owned by Peter and Molly Murray and famous for its weekend sing-songs), the ''Laurel Leaf'', the ''Centre Half'' and ''Haughey's''. Gerry Conlon, who grew up in Peel Street, recalled in his autobiography ''Proved Innocent'' how he could see several pubs just a few yards from his front door: ''I'd watch the men off to the pubs. There were three pubs, Paddy Gilmartin's which was called the Laurel Leaf, Peter Murray's he West End Bardirectly opposite, or further down on the right-hand side was Charlie Gormley's, across from Finnegan's the butcher shop.'' The ''Centre Half Bar'' which was located at the corner of Panton Street and the Falls Road was named by the licensee Mickey Hamill who played for both Belfast Celtic and Glasgow Celtic as well as Manchester United and Manchester City. He captained the Ireland team to their first Home International championship win in 1914. The ''Spanish Rooms'' bar, in lower Divis Street, was famed for selling
scrumpy Scrumpy is a type of cider originating in the West of England, particularly the West Country. Traditionally, the dialect term "scrumpy" was used to refer to what was otherwise called "rough", a harsh cider made from unselected apples.Leeds, W. '' ...
, especially to young men on their way to a dance. In the early 1970s it was the largest seller of cider in Britain and Ireland. Most of these bars were demolished as part of the redevelopment of the area which occurred in the 1970s and 1980s. Near the foot of Divis Street is located the offices of ''Raidió Fáilte'', an Irish language community radio station. It is housed in a purpose-built facility. Nearby, on the Cullingtree Road, is located the ''Frank Gillen Centre'' which offers a range of community services. Closer to the city centre, in College Court, off Castle Street, was located the ''Astor Ballroom'' which was a very popular dance venue in the 1960s and where such famous bands as
Thin Lizzy Thin Lizzy are an Irish rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. The band initially consisted of bass guitarist, lead vocalist and principal songwriter Phil Lynott, drummer Brian Downey, guitarist Eric Bell and organist Eric Wrixon although Wr ...
and
Them Them or THEM, a third-person singular or plural accusative personal pronoun, may refer to: Books * ''Them'' (novel), 3rd volume (1969) in American Joyce Carol Oates' ''Wonderland Quartet'' * '' Them: Adventures with Extremists'', 2003 non-fict ...
performed.


Murals and memorials

On some walls along the main road have been painted large
murals A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' is a Spanish ...
. These are representations of local and national political issues and figures. One of the most famous is the large mural of
Bobby Sands Robert Gerard Sands (; 9 March 1954 – 5 May 1981) was a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) who died on hunger strike while imprisoned at HM Prison Maze in Northern Ireland. Sands helped to plan the 1976 Balmoral Furnit ...
on the side wall of the
Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( ; ; ) is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The History of Sinn Féin, original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffit ...
's offices at the corner of Sevastopol Street. It bears the quotation from his writings: ''our revenge will be the laughter of our children''. Further down the road on the corner of Northumberland Street is a series of murals which has come to be called the ''International or Solidarity Wall''. This is a series of images of international figures who have been involved in various liberation struggles. These murals have become a popular attraction for visiting tourists. The murals are frequently updated to reflect local support for certain individuals and groups (e.g. NHS staff). In 2023, a panel on the wall calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza was unveiled. There are many other murals on nearby gable walls frequently exhorting peace and reconciliation between communities. One in Bread Street, off Albert Street, has a quotation from
Audre Lorde Audre Lorde ( ; born Audrey Geraldine Lorde; February 18, 1934 – November 17, 1992) was an American writer, professor, philosopher, Intersectional feminism, intersectional feminist, poet and civil rights activist. She was a self-described "Bl ...
: ''It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept and celebrate those differences''. Opposite the junction with Conway Street is a Garden of Remembrance. This is dedicated to the members of the IRA and the civilians from the Falls Road area who were killed during the Troubles and the prisoners in the H Block at the Long Kesh prison who died while on hunger strike in 1981.


Middle Falls

This section of the road centres on the Beechmount district and stretches from the intersection with the Grosvenor Road/Springfield Road to the Whiterock Road. The district takes its name from Beechmount House which was located at the top of a nearby hill surrounded by beech trees. It was the former home of
Eliza and Isabella Riddel Eliza (1831–1924) and Isabella Riddel (1836–1918) were sisters who are best known for Riddel Hall in Stranmillis, Belfast, Ireland, which they established in 1913 as a university hall of residence for women.Queen's University Belfast, Febr ...
. It is now the site of an Irish Language school. The Whiterock Road leads to the Ballymurphy and to
Turf Lodge The Springfield Road () is a residential area and road traffic thoroughfare adjacent to the Falls Road (Belfast), Falls Road in west Belfast. The local population is predominantly Irish nationalism, Irish nationalist and Irish republicanism, re ...
districts. It also leads to the Black Mountain which forms part of the range of hills overlooking Belfast. Across the Falls Road from the Whiterock Road is the Donegall Road. This road leads down to the junction with Broadway and Westlink – M1 motorway and then on down to Shaftesbury Square in the city centre. At the junction with Westlink is located the large public sculpture formally called RISE but informally known as ''the balls on the Falls''. Through the area flowed the Clowney Water or River (Irish ''Abhainn na Cluana'' – River of the meadow) which is a tributary of the larger
Blackstaff River The Blackstaff River is a watercourse in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It rises on the eastern slope of the Black Mountain (Belfast), Black Mountain before flowing down into the Bog Meadows and passing under the city of Belfast, where it ent ...
. Both have largely been covered over and piped in.


Hospitals

There are several large hospitals in the area including the Royal Victoria Hospital, the Royal Jubilee Maternity Service, the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children (Children's Hospital), and the Royal Dental Hospital. These four linked hospitals make up Northern Ireland's biggest hospitals complex. The Royal Victoria Hospital treats over 80,000 people as inpatients and 350,000 people as outpatients every year. The complex is a major training site for medical, dental, nursing and other health students from Queen's University Belfast. The original hospital opened in 1797 and moved to its present site in 1903. The hospital was designed by Henman and Cooper of Birmingham in 1899, completed in 1906. It was claimed to be the first air-conditioned public building in the world. Opposite the Children's Hospital is Mulholland Terrace, a row of terraced houses which were built in the nineteenth century by David Mulholland. He also owned several bars in the area.


Schools

There are several educational institutions in the district. At the primary level, ''St. Paul's Primary School'' is located in the Beechmount area. There are also two Irish language primary schools. These are ''Gaelscoil na bhFal'' and ''Bunscoil an tSléibhe Dhuibh''. At the senior level, there is St Dominic's Grammar School for Girls. Beside it was located St. Catherine's Primary School which was also run by the
Dominican nuns The Order of Preachers (, abbreviated OP), commonly known as the Dominican Order, is a Catholic mendicant order of pontifical right that was founded in France by a Castilian priest named Dominic de Guzmán. It was approved by Pope Honorius I ...
but closed in 2005. At the rear was located St Rose's High School in the Beechmount district which in 2019 was amalgamated with the Christian Brothers School, Glen Road and Corpus Christi College to form All Saints College / Coláiste na Naomh Uile. There were several boys secondary schools in the area which have gone through a process of merging over the past forty years. ''St. Thomas's Boys Secondary School'' on the Whiterock Road opened in 1957. ''St. Peter's Boys Secondary School'' on Brittons Parade opened in the 1960s. In 1988, both of these schools amalgamated with Gort na Móna Secondary School to become ''Corpus Christi College'' which in turn merged (see above). St. Thomas's had a strong literary heritage. For a period, its headteacher was the writer
Michael McLaverty Michael McLaverty (5 July 1904 – 22 March 1992) was an Irish literature, Irish writer of novels and short stories.Seamus Heaney Seamus Justin Heaney (13 April 1939 – 30 August 2013) was an Irish Irish poetry, poet, playwright and translator. He received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature. Among his best-known works is ''Death of a Naturalist'' (1966), his first m ...
taught here for a while in the 1960s. He references the area in one of his poems: : ''Is there life before death? That's chalked up'' : ''In Ballymurphy. Competence with pain,'' : ''Coherent miseries, a bite and a sup,'' : ''We hug our little destiny again.'' Brendan Hamill, another writer, who attended the school in the 1960s recalled later: ''While on teaching practice, Seamus Heaney came to St Thomas' about October that year (1962). I remember him, his voice grave and resonant, his big, brown shoes, reading from Carrickfergus by Louis MacNeice. He was an enormously decent man with extraordinary antennae.''
Joe Graham Anthony Joseph Graham (30 January 1944 – 9 December 2021) was a Northern Irish writer and historian from Belfast. He founded ''Rushlight: The Belfast Magazine'' in 1972. Early life Joe Graham was the eighth of twelve children born to Jim an ...
, the writer and historian, was also a student at the school when McLaverty was the headteacher. For several years, after the school closed, this building was used by Belfast Metropolitan College for further education courses. After the new Springvale campus of the college was opened the building was demolished. Coláiste Feirste is an Irish language secondary school which is situated near Beechmount, in the former home of the Riddel family. Mo Chara from the Belfast-based hip hop trio
Kneecap The patella (: patellae or patellas), also known as the kneecap, is a flat, rounded triangular bone which articulates with the femur (thigh bone) and covers and protects the anterior articular surface of the knee joint. The patella is found in m ...
attended this school. At the higher education level, there is St Mary's University College which is part of
Queen's University Belfast The Queen's University of Belfast, commonly known as Queen's University Belfast (; abbreviated Queen's or QUB), is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. The university received its charter in 1845 as part of ...
. This was established in 1909 as St Mary's Training College to train women as teachers. It amalgamated with St Joseph's Training College (for male trainee teachers) in 1985. Besides teacher training it now offers a range of degree courses. The college has a substantial programme of community engagement playing host to many local events including many organised by
Féile an Phobail Féile an Phobail (''The Community's Festival''), also known as the West Belfast Festival is a community arts organisation known for its ''August Féile'' (Festival). The organisation is prominent for its promotion of Irish and international cu ...
.


Churches

''St Paul's Church'' is located opposite the hospitals on the corner of Cavendish Street. It was built as a
chapel of ease A chapel of ease (or chapel-of-ease) is a church architecture, church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently, generally due to trav ...
to St Peter's Cathedral and celebrated its first Mass in July 1887. St.Paul's was raised from "a district of St Peters" to the status of a parish in 1905. ''Broadway Presbyterian Church'' opened in 1891 but closed in 1982. It has since been repurposed as an
Irish language Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous ...
arts and culture centre (see below).


Recreation and culture

Near Beechmount is located Willowbank Park which has a number of playing fields. It is located on the site of the ''Willowbank Huts'' which in the late nineteenth century housed a small British Army barracks. When the huts were vacated they were used by various groups including
Fianna Éireann Na Fianna Éireann (The Fianna of Ireland), known as the Fianna ("Soldiers of Ireland"), is an Irish nationalist youth organisation founded by Constance Markievicz in 1909, with later help from Bulmer Hobson. Fianna members were involved in se ...
. Corrigan Park which is a facility for
Gaelic games Gaelic games () are a set of sports played worldwide, though they are particularly popular in Ireland, where they originated. They include Gaelic football, hurling, Gaelic handball and rounders. Football and hurling, the most popular of the s ...
is located on the Whiterock Road. A nearby smaller facility for various sporting activities is McCrory Park. It was named after Cardinal Joseph MacRory who was
Bishop of Down and Connor The Bishop of Down and Connor () is an episcopal title which takes its name from the town of Downpatrick (located in County Down) and the village of Connor (located in County Antrim) in Northern Ireland. The title is still used by the Catholic C ...
and then
Primate of All Ireland The Primacy of Ireland belongs to the diocesan bishop of the Irish diocese with highest precedence. The Archbishop of Armagh is titled Primate of All Ireland and the Archbishop of Dublin Primate of Ireland, signifying that they are the senior ...
in the early part of the twentieth century. During the 1970s it was occupied by the British Army who called it Fort Pegasus. The playing fields of the Davitt's
GAC Gac or GAC may refer to: *Gấc, pronounced �ək̚˧˦ a Southeast Asian fruit of the species ''Momordica cochinchinensis'' *Gać (disambiguation), a common Polish place-name Acronyms Companies and organisations * GAC Group, a Chinese automo ...
are located in Beechmount. The Whiterock Leisure Centre is located off the upper Whiterock Road. It has a community garden and allotment site. Developments include a playground and multi-use games area. At the foot of St. James's Road and sandwiched between Rodney Parade and the M1 motorway is located the St. James's Community Farm. This was an abandoned piece of land that was transformed by local residents into a community farm providing facilities for around 50 animals and various gardening initiatives. Historically, there has been a continuing interest in the Irish language and culture in the area. In 1936 the ''Cluain Árd'' centre was established in the Beechmount area and became a centre for Irish language enthusiasts. In the 1960s, there was a resurgence of interest in the Irish language reflected in the development of the
Shaw's Road Shaw's Road is a road in west Belfast, Northern Ireland, connecting the Andersonstown Road with the Glen Road. Shaw's Road Gaeltacht Located on the road, is a small Gaeltacht ( Irish-speaking area) known colloquially as "The Irish Houses", and ...
Gaeltacht A ( , , ) is a district of Ireland, either individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home. The districts were first officially recognised ...
in Andersonstown. Since then, interest has grown, with the approval by Belfast City Council of a Gaeltacht Quarter around the Falls Road in 2002. The Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich, known colloquially as ''the Cultúrlann'', is an Irish language and arts centre based in the middle Falls area which opened in 1991. It was originally the home of Broadway Presbyterian church. The centre also houses the Irish language bookshop An Ceathrú Póilí. The
Féile an Phobail Féile an Phobail (''The Community's Festival''), also known as the West Belfast Festival is a community arts organisation known for its ''August Féile'' (Festival). The organisation is prominent for its promotion of Irish and international cu ...
, an annual festival of Irish culture, which was established in 1988 provides a showcase for Irish culture. Nearby, at the corner with Broadway, is the new ''Áras na bhFál'', the home of Iontaobhas na Gaelscolaíochta – the Trust Fund for Irish-Medium Education. The ''Áras Uí Chonghaile/James Connolly Visitor Centre'' is located near the top of the Donegall Road. This centre is dedicated to the life and work of
James Connolly James Connolly (; 5 June 1868 – 12 May 1916) was a Scottish people, Scottish-born Irish republicanism, Irish republican, socialist, and trade union leader, executed for his part in the Easter Rising, 1916 Easter Rising against British rule i ...
who lived nearby for a period in the early years of the twentieth century. There are several large bars in the middle Falls area. These include the ''Beehive'' and the ''Red Devil – An Diabhal Dearg'', at the top of Broadway, and the ''Rock Bar'' at the top of the Donegall Road. The ''Rock Bar'' is described as the oldest bar on the Falls Road. It was subjected to a loyalist attack with an RPG rocket in 1994 but survived and no customers were injured. The ''Broadway Cinema'' which was situated near Beechmount was the largest of Belfast's suburban cinemas when it opened in 1936. It closed in 1972 after a bombing. Nearby is the ''Falls Women's Centre/Ionad Mhná na bhFál'' which was established in 1982. On the Donegall Road, is the former site of
Celtic Park Celtic Park is a Soccer-specific stadium, football stadium and the home of Scottish Premiership team Celtic F.C., Celtic, in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, Scotland. With a capacity of 60,832, it is the largest List of football stadiums in Sco ...
. This was originally a football stadium and the home of Belfast Celtic F.C. It was also the first
greyhound racing Greyhound racing is an organized, competitive sport in which greyhounds are raced around an oval track. The sport originates from Hare coursing, coursing. Track racing uses an artificial lure (usually a form of windsock) that travels ahead of th ...
track to open in Ireland. The stadium closed in 1983 and is now the site of a shopping centre.


Upper Falls

This section stretches from the Whiterock Road to the Andersonstown Road. As its name implies, the Andersonstown Road leads to the Andersonstown district and the on out of the city. At the junction with the Glen Road was located the Andersonstown RUC station which was the most attacked police station in Northern Ireland. It was closed and demolished in 2005. The Glen Road runs for almost three miles passing the junction with Monagh By Pass/Kennedy Way, then Shaw's Road and Suffolk Road until it changes name to Colinglen Road. For much of the route in forms the northern boundary of Andersonstown and then Lenadoon.


Schools

St. Louise's Comprehensive College which was one of the largest girls schools in Europe with over 2,000 pupils is located in this area. In 2019, it was decided to admit boys and to reduce the overall student numbers to 1500. Nearby is located ''St. Kevin's Primary School'' which was established in 1933. There is also the St. Maria Goretti Nursery School on the Whiterock Road.


Churches

The ''St. John's RC Church'' is located near the foot of the Whiterock Road. It was originally established in 1928 as the population of the area increased. ''St. Matthias's Church'' is located on the Glen Road not far from Milltown Cemetery. On the site, the original Church of Ireland church was erected in 1892. It formally closed in 1969 but was taken over by the catholic parish of ''St Teresa of Ávila'', the main church of which is located further up the Glen Road. The building reopened as a catholic church under the same name in 1970. A new catholic church opened on the site in 2004 and the old tin church, which is listed, is in a state of disrepair.


Recreation

In the Upper Falls area is located the Falls Park which was established in 1873. The park has many mature trees, flower beds, horticultural displays and grassland areas. The park contains playing fields for Gaelic games and soccer. It has a
3G pitch Artificial turf is a surface of synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass, used in sports arenas, residential lawns and commercial applications that traditionally use grass. It is much more durable than grass and easily maintained wi ...
, a bowling green and other facilities. Developments include an outdoor gym, a dedicated youth area suitable for a range of uses and a refurbished play park with modern play equipment. In 1924, an outdoor swimming pool, known locally as ''The Cooler'', was added to the park. The pool closed in 1979 for public health reasons. The Féile an Phobail has its closing concert here each year. Opposite the Falls Park, on Milltown Row, are located the facilities of St. Gall's GAC. Further up the Falls Road is located ''The Felons'', a large social club and restaurant. It is located on the site of a former Methodist meeting house.


Cemeteries

In the late 19th century, with the rapid increase in the city population, there was an increasing need for cemeteries. At that time, the Upper Falls was a rural area and the city council and the Catholic Church decided to buy large spaces in the area to create cemeteries. The Belfast City Cemetery which is located at the bottom of the Whiterock Road, is a municipal cemetery maintained by the Belfast City Council and is one of the largest burial sites in the city. It opened in 1869. At the junction with the Glen Road, is located Milltown Cemetery, maintained by the Catholic Church, which opened in the same year. At the bottom of Milltown Cemetery is the Bog Meadows which leads onto the M1 motorway. This large wild-life preserve is home to a wide variety of wild flowers, birds and butterflies. Some cattle also graze on the site. It is owned and managed by the Friends of the Bog Meadows and the Ulster Wildlife Trust.


Transport

Originally there was a tram service providing public transport on the Falls Road. This was introduced in the late 19th century and replaced by
trolleybuses A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or troll ...
in 1938. There were three routes along the road: 11 for Falls Road-Whiterock Road, 12 for Falls Road-Andersonstown Road and 13 for Falls Road-Glen Road. The 77 route from the Gasworks to the Waterworks ran via Albert Street/Northumberland Street and cut across the Falls Road and the Shankill Road. The trolleybuses were replaced by diesel buses in the 1960s. With the outbreak of the troubles, the bus service was withdrawn. The gap in public transport was replaced by black taxis. Since the troubles ended, the public bus service has been re-introduced and expanded. Metro, a division of Translink now operates the bus service. The Falls Road is designated one of the quality bus corridors (QBCs) within the city with a variety of different routes. In 2018, the Glider bus service was introduced. It provides a service from Poleglass via the Falls Road-City Centre and Newtownards Road to Dundonald. It was the first cross-city bus service.


Street names

Following a decision of
Belfast City Council Belfast City Council () is the Local government in Northern Ireland, local authority with responsibility for part of Belfast, the largest city of Northern Ireland. The council serves an estimated population of (), the largest of any district c ...
in 2021, many of the streets in the area now have bilingual (English-Irish) signs. Guidance on the wording of these signs is taken from the Northern Ireland Place Names Project. Examples are ''Ardmoulin Street-Sráid Ard an Mhuilinn'', ''Beechmount Avenue-Ascaill Ard na bhFeá''.


Politics

A predominantly working-class community, the area has seen an ongoing contest between various versions of labour/socialist and nationalist/Irish republican ideas for electoral leadership. In the early 20th century,
James Connolly James Connolly (; 5 June 1868 – 12 May 1916) was a Scottish people, Scottish-born Irish republicanism, Irish republican, socialist, and trade union leader, executed for his part in the Easter Rising, 1916 Easter Rising against British rule i ...
, the socialist republican, resided in the Upper Falls area for a period which at that time was generally seen as a bedrock of the
Irish Parliamentary Party The Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP; commonly called the Irish Party or the Home Rule Party) was formed in 1874 by Isaac Butt, the leader of the Nationalist Party, replacing the Home Rule League, as official parliamentary party for Irish nati ...
(IPP). As Belfast branch secretary for the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union, beginning in 1911 with Marie Johnson and from 1912 with
Winifred Carney Maria Winifred "Winnie" Carney (4 December 1887 – 21 November 1943), was an Irish republicanism, Irish republican, a participant in the Easter Rising, 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin, and in Belfast—as a trade union secretary, women's s ...
, Connolly sought to organise the millworkers of the Falls in the Irish Textile Workers Union.' In 1913, he stood for Belfast Corporation but lost with a vote of 905 against 1523. Carney, who had been raised on the Falls, was by Connolly's side in the GPO during the 1916 Easter Rising. Later, in the 1930s, she was to be involved with her husband, George McBride, in socialist and republican politics on the Protestant
Shankill Road The Shankill Road () is one of the main roads leading through West Belfast, in Northern Ireland. It runs through the working-class, predominantly loyalist, area known as the Shankill. The road stretches westwards for about from central Belfast ...
. She is buried in Milltown Cemetery, and in 2024 a statue was unveiled to her on the grounds of
Belfast City Hall Belfast City Hall (; Ulster-Scots: ) is the civic building of Belfast City Council located in Donegall Square, Belfast, Northern Ireland. It faces North and effectively divides the commercial and business areas of the city centre. It is a Grad ...
. The Falls Road forms the centre of the
Belfast West (UK Parliament constituency) Belfast West is a parliamentary constituency (seat) in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. The current MP is Paul Maskey of Sinn Fein. In 2017, it ranked the most secure of Northern Ireland's 18 seats by percentage and/or numerical ...
although it also includes areas from the neighbouring unionist
Shankill Road The Shankill Road () is one of the main roads leading through West Belfast, in Northern Ireland. It runs through the working-class, predominantly loyalist, area known as the Shankill. The road stretches westwards for about from central Belfast ...
district. In 1909, the constituency was held by Joe Devlin of the IPP. In the
1918 United Kingdom general election The 1918 United Kingdom general election was called immediately after the Armistice with Germany which ended the First World War, and was held on Saturday, 14 December 1918. The governing coalition, under Prime Minister David Lloyd George, sen ...
a separate
Belfast Falls (UK Parliament constituency) Falls, a division of Belfast, was a UK parliamentary constituency in Ireland. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1918 to 1922, using the first past the post electoral system. Boundarie ...
was created which was again won by Joe Devlin who heavily defeated
Éamon de Valera Éamon de Valera (; ; first registered as George de Valero; changed some time before 1901 to Edward de Valera; 14 October 1882 – 29 August 1975) was an American-born Irish statesman and political leader. He served as the 3rd President of Ire ...
who was standing for
Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( ; ; ) is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The History of Sinn Féin, original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffit ...
. After partition, the constituency of Belfast West was reconstituted for the
1922 United Kingdom general election The 1922 United Kingdom general election was held on Wednesday 15 November 1922. It was won by the Conservative Party, led by Prime Minister Andrew Bonar Law, which gained an overall majority over the Labour Party, led by J. R. Clynes, and ...
and was won by the
Ulster Unionist Party The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is a Unionism in Ireland, unionist political party in Northern Ireland. The party was founded as the Ulster Unionist Council in 1905, emerging from the Irish Unionist Alliance in Ulster. Under Edward Carson, it l ...
who held it for 11 years until it was won by Jack Beattie, standing for Labour, who held it from 1943 to 1950 and again from 1951 to 1955. It was then held again by the Ulster Unionists until 1966. In the
1964 United Kingdom general election The 1964 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday 15 October 1964. It resulted in the Conservatives, led by Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Alec Douglas-Home, narrowly losing to the Labour Party (UK), Labour Part ...
,
Billy McMillen William McMillen (19 May 1927 – 28 April 1975), aka Liam McMillen, was an Irish republican activist and an officer of the Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA) from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He was killed in 1975, in a feud with the Irish ...
stood as a Republican Clubs candidate for the Belfast West. His office was in Divis Street and the
Irish tricolour The national flag of Ireland (), frequently referred to in Ireland as 'the tricolour' () and elsewhere as the Irish tricolour, is a vertical tricolour of green (at the hoist), white and orange. The proportions of the flag are 1:2 (that is t ...
alongside the Starry Plough of Connolly's
Irish Citizen Army The Irish Citizen Army (), or ICA, was a paramilitary group first formed in Dublin to defend the picket lines and street demonstrations of the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union (ITGWU) against the police during the Great Dublin Lock ...
was displayed in the window. The Flags and Emblems Act gave the RUC the power to remove any flag or emblem from public or private property which was considered to be likely to cause a breach of the peace. This was generally interpreted as any Irish flag since the
Union Jack The Union Jack or Union Flag is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. The Union Jack was also used as the official flag of several British colonies and dominions before they adopted their own national flags. It is sometimes a ...
was specifically excluded from the Act.
Ian Paisley Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Baron Bannside, (6 April 1926 – 12 September 2014) was a loyalist politician and Protestant religious leader from Northern Ireland who served as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) from 1971 to 2008 and ...
insisted the RUC remove the
Irish tricolour The national flag of Ireland (), frequently referred to in Ireland as 'the tricolour' () and elsewhere as the Irish tricolour, is a vertical tricolour of green (at the hoist), white and orange. The proportions of the flag are 1:2 (that is t ...
or he would organise a march and remove it himself. The police feared a backlash from Loyalists, and removed it, causing unrest and rioting by local residents.
James Kilfedder Sir James Alexander Kilfedder (16 July 1928 – 20 March 1995), usually known as Sir Jim Kilfedder, was a Northern Ireland, Northern Irish Unionism (Ireland), unionist politician. He was the last unionist to represent Belfast West (UK Parliamen ...
standing for the
Ulster Unionist Party The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is a Unionism in Ireland, unionist political party in Northern Ireland. The party was founded as the Ulster Unionist Council in 1905, emerging from the Irish Unionist Alliance in Ulster. Under Edward Carson, it l ...
was elected to the seat that year but was defeated two years later in 1966 by
Gerry Fitt Gerard Fitt, Baron Fitt (9 April 1926 – 26 August 2005), was a politician from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He was a founder and the first leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), a social democratic and Irish nationalist party. ...
who held the seat for the
Republican Labour Party The Republican Labour Party (RLP) was a political party in Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1964, with two MPs at Stormont, Harry Diamond and Gerry Fitt. They had previously been the sole Northern Ireland representatives of the Socialist R ...
and then the
SDLP The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP; ) is a social democratic and Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. The SDLP currently has eight members in the Northern Ireland Assembly ( MLAs) and two members of Parliament (MPs ...
for seventeen years until 1983 when
Gerry Adams Gerard Adams (; born 6 October 1948) is a retired Irish Republican politician who was the president of Sinn Féin between 13 November 1983 and 10 February 2018, and served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for Louth from 2011 to 2020. From 1983 to 19 ...
won the seat for
Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( ; ; ) is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The History of Sinn Féin, original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffit ...
. He held the seat for over twenty years (1983–1992 and 1997–2011) with Joe Hendron of the
SDLP The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP; ) is a social democratic and Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. The SDLP currently has eight members in the Northern Ireland Assembly ( MLAs) and two members of Parliament (MPs ...
holding it for the intervening five years (1992–1997). Paul Maskey of Sinn Féin was elected MP in 2011 and has held the seat since but in line with Sinn Féin's abstentionist policy he has not actually taken the seat at Westminster. In 1995, President
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
visited the area where he shook hands with the Gerry Adams near the corner with the Springfield Road. In the
1929 Northern Ireland general election The 1929 Northern Ireland general election was held on 22 May 1929. Like all previous elections to the Parliament of Northern Ireland, it produced a large majority for the Ulster Unionist Party. It was the first held after the abolition of pro ...
, the Belfast, Falls constituency was won by the
Nationalist Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...
Richard Byrne after a bitter contest with William McMullen, a supporter of Connolly. Michael Farrell, ''Northern Ireland: The Orange State'' In the 1945 election, Harry Diamond won the seat standing for the Socialist Republican Party. He held the seat until 1969 when he was defeated by
Paddy Devlin Patrick Joseph Devlin (8 March 1925 – 15 August 1999) was an Irish socialist, labour and civil rights activist and writer from Belfast. He was a founding member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), a Stormont MP and a member o ...
standing for the
Northern Ireland Labour Party The Northern Ireland Labour Party (NILP) was a political party in Northern Ireland which operated from 1924 until 1987. Origins The roots of the NILP can be traced back to the formation of the Belfast Labour Party in 1892. Previously, in 1885 ...
. Devlin, who had once been a member, alongside Diamond, of the Belfast branch of the Irish Labour Party, became a founding member of the
Social Democratic and Labour Party The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP; ) is a social democratic and Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. The SDLP currently has eight members in the Northern Ireland Assembly ( MLAs) and two members of Parliament (M ...
in 1970 and remained a member until
Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
was prorogued in 1972.Connal Parr (2012): Managing His Aspirations: The Labour and Republican Politics of Paddy Devlin, Irish Political Studies, 27:1, 111–138 It was replaced by the power-sharing
Northern Ireland Assembly The Northern Ireland Assembly (; ), often referred to by the metonym ''Stormont'', is the devolved unicameral legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliam ...
in 1973 which only met for one year. After the
Good Friday Agreement The Good Friday Agreement (GFA) or Belfast Agreement ( or ; or ) is a pair of agreements signed on 10 April (Good Friday) 1998 that ended most of the violence of the Troubles, an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland since the la ...
in 1998, a new
Northern Ireland Assembly The Northern Ireland Assembly (; ), often referred to by the metonym ''Stormont'', is the devolved unicameral legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliam ...
was established. In the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election, a total of four Sinn Féin and one
People Before Profit People Before Profit (, PBP) is a Trotskyist political party formed in October 2005. The party is active in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. History As Socialist Environmental Alliance People Before Profit was established in 200 ...
representatives were elected in the
Belfast West (Assembly constituency) Belfast West is a constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly. It was first used for a Northern Ireland-only election in 1973, which elected the Northern Ireland Assembly, 1973, then Northern Ireland Assembly. It usually shares boundaries with ...
. In elections for
Belfast City Council Belfast City Council () is the Local government in Northern Ireland, local authority with responsibility for part of Belfast, the largest city of Northern Ireland. The council serves an estimated population of (), the largest of any district c ...
, three of the seven wards (Falls Park, Ballymurphy, and Beechmount) within the Black Mountain (District Electoral Area) cover the Middle and Upper Falls area, while two of the six wards (Clonard and Falls) within the Court (District Electoral Area) cover the Lower Falls area. In the 2023 district election, six
Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( ; ; ) is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The History of Sinn Féin, original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffit ...
and one
SDLP The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP; ) is a social democratic and Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. The SDLP currently has eight members in the Northern Ireland Assembly ( MLAs) and two members of Parliament (MPs ...
councillors were elected for the Black Mountain (District Electoral Area) while two Sinn Féin, three DUP and one TUV councillors were elected for the Court (District Electoral Area).


The Troubles

In the late 1960s, many Catholics from across Northern Ireland began to campaign, many with
Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA; ) was an organisation that campaigned for civil rights for Irish Catholics in Northern Ireland during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Formed in Belfast on 9 April 1967,civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' political freedom, freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and ...
campaign, in conscious imitation of the philosophy of, and tactics used by, the American Civil Rights Movement. Northern Ireland was part of the UK but the voting criteria were different to England, Scotland and Wales where a person could vote as soon as they became 18 years old. In Northern Ireland an 18-year-old could only vote if they were the named owner or named renter of a house. Most of the Catholic houses had three generations living in the same dwelling (because of housing discrimination) so only the mother and father could vote. Furthermore, business owners (depending on the size of the company) were entitled to three to six votes unlike anywhere else in the United Kingdom. Many Unionists saw NICRA as an Irish republican
Trojan horse In Greek mythology, the Trojan Horse () was a wooden horse said to have been used by the Greeks during the Trojan War to enter the city of Troy and win the war. The Trojan Horse is not mentioned in Homer, Homer's ''Iliad'', with the poem ending ...
, designed to destabilize Northern Ireland, and force unionists into a united Ireland. Several streets around the Falls Road were burnt out by armed 'B' Specials (Police Reserve) and loyalists in August 1969, with the murder of six Catholics on the first night marking the start of 'The Troubles.Michael McCann. ''Burnt Out. How the Troubles began''; (Cork, 2019, Mercier); In response to the worsening situation, the British Government deployed the
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
on the Falls Road to protect the Catholics from further attacks. The troops were initially welcomed by all the Falls residents to protect them, but heavy-handed tactics by the mostly British-born members of the Army who did not know, care or understand the situation would estrange most Catholics and nationalists. From 3–5 July 1970, the road was the scene of what became known as the Falls Curfew. 3,000 British troops carried out an operation to search the area for hidden weapon caches, sealing off the streets around the Falls Road. Local youths attacked the troops, who responded by firing 1,600 canisters of
CS gas The compound 2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile (also called ''o''-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile; chemical formula: C10H5ClN2), a cyanocarbon, is the defining component of the lachrymatory agent commonly referred to as CS gas, a tear gas which ...
to disperse the crowds. The operation was also opposed by the
Official IRA The Official Irish Republican Army or Official IRA (OIRA; ) was an Irish republican paramilitary group whose goal was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and create a " workers' republic" encompassing all of Ireland. It emerg ...
(OIRA), with OIRA gunmen engaging British troops in multiple gun battles across the area. Over the course of the operation, four Catholic civilians were killed by the Army, which recovered ninety rifles. The operation was widely regarded as the end of the British Army's "honeymoon" period with the nationalist community in Belfast. During the Troubles there were repeated sectarian attacks by loyalists on residents of the Falls Road. These attacks increased during the 1969 Northern Ireland riots when whole streets in the Falls Road area were destroyed by loyalists from the Shankill Road area. Loyalists paramilitaries killed many local residents. Temporary barricades were constructed to provide residents with some security. These developed into peace walls which today separate the Falls Road from the neighbouring Shankill Road. Although the troubles have now ceased, the peace walls still exist in this so-called Interface area. For the following three decades, the British Army maintained a substantial presence on the Falls Road, occupying a base on top of the Divis Tower. This was removed in August 2005 as part of the
British government His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
's normalisation programme, following the
Provisional Irish Republican Army The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Provisional IRA), officially known as the Irish Republican Army (IRA; ) and informally known as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary force that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland ...
's statement that it was ending its armed activities. In the intervening period, the Falls Road area saw some of the worst violence of
the Troubles The Troubles () were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted for about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it began in the late 1960s and is usually deemed t ...
. The last British soldier to be killed on the road itself was Private Nicholas Peacock, killed by a booby trap bomb left outside the Rock Bar, opposite the top of the Donegall Road on 1 February 1989. In 1991, IRA hit squads based in the Upper Falls and Beechmount were involved in attacks against loyalist paramilitaries in the nearby Village area. In September 1991, they shot dead 19-year-old UVF member John Hanna at his home on the Donegall Road, and in November the same year, they shot dead William Kingsberry and his stepson, Samuel Mehaffey, members of the UDA and RHC respectively, in their home on Lecale Street. The
Good Friday Agreement The Good Friday Agreement (GFA) or Belfast Agreement ( or ; or ) is a pair of agreements signed on 10 April (Good Friday) 1998 that ended most of the violence of the Troubles, an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland since the la ...
was signed in 1998 followed by decommissioning of weapons by the IRA and the formal ending of its campaign in 2005.


Literary and musical references

There are many literary references to life on the Falls Road. These include: *
Gerry Adams Gerard Adams (; born 6 October 1948) is a retired Irish Republican politician who was the president of Sinn Féin between 13 November 1983 and 10 February 2018, and served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for Louth from 2011 to 2020. From 1983 to 19 ...
(1982). ''Falls Memories.'' Dingle:Brandon. *
Ciaran Carson Ciaran Gerard Carson ( Irish: ''Ciarán Gearóid Mac Carráin''; 9 October 1948 – 6 October 2019) was a Northern Ireland-born poet and novelist. Early life and education Ciaran Carson was born on 9 October 1948 in Belfast Belfast ...
(1997). ''Star Factory.'' London: Granta Books. * Liam Carson (2010). ''Call Mother a Lonely Field.'' Bridgend: Seren. * Eimer O'Callaghan (2014). ''Belfast Days. A 1972 Teenage Diary.'' Sallins: Merrion Press. * Patricia Craig (2007). ''Asking for Trouble.'' Belfast: Blackstaff. The American singer
Nanci Griffith Nanci Caroline Griffith (July 6, 1953 – August 13, 2021) was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. She often appeared on the PBS music program ''Austin City Limits'', starting in 1985 during season 10. In 1990, Griffith appeared on th ...
sings in her song "It's a hard life wherever you go" which she wrote after visiting Belfast: : ''I am a backseat driver from America'' : ''They drive to the left on Falls Road'' : ''The man at the wheel's name is Seamus'' : ''We pass a child on the corner he knows'' : ''And Seamus says, "Now, what chance has that kid got?"'' : ''And I say from the back, "I don't know."'' : ''He says, "There's barbed wire at all of these exits'' : ''And there ain't no place in Belfast for that kid to go."''
Gary Kemp Gary James Kemp (born 16 October 1959) is an English songwriter, musician and actor, best known as the lead guitarist, backing vocalist, and principal songwriter for the new wave band Spandau Ballet. Kemp wrote the lyrics and music for all 2 ...
, British songwriter and singer for British soft rock group
Spandau Ballet Spandau Ballet ( ) were an English new wave band formed in Islington, London, in 1979. Inspired by the capital's post-punk underground dance scene, they emerged at the start of the 1980s as the house band for the Blitz Kids (New Romantics), ...
attributes his writing of the band's 1986 hit " Through the Barricades" to emotion he experienced while on Falls Road.


See also

* Gaeltacht Quarter, Belfast *
Lower Falls (District Electoral Area) Lower Falls was one of the nine district electoral areas which existed in Belfast, Northern Ireland from 1985 to 2014. Located in the west of the city, the district elected five members to Belfast City Council and contained the wards of Beechm ...
* Upper Falls (District Electoral Area) * Raidió Fáilte


References


External links


Visit West Belfast

Falls Road in Rushlight Magazine
{{Northern Ireland roads Streets in Belfast Roads in Northern Ireland