A weekend in Belfast.

Been neglecting my blog a little bit over the summer, training for the Dublin marathon seemed to eat up all our time.  However I thought this would be an interesting one.  A few weeks ago Gillian and I went over to Belfast for the weekend to watch our friend Grant run for Scotland in the UK and Ireland Masters Cross Country championships.

We found Belfast to be a fantastic city, great pubs and friendly people.  We also visited the brand new Titanic exhibition and also took a  black cab tour along the Falls and Shankill roads to learn a bit about the troubled history of Northern Island.

Grant in his Scotland Running vest : Braveheart !!!!

Queens University Belfast

Guinness time in the Crown Bar with Grant and Dave Simpson (from Belfast)

Belfast street art.

Titanic Exhibition.

Outside the Titanic Exhibition.

Titanic dry dock.

Belfast City Hall

Republican Murals on the Falls Road

Republican Murals on the Falls Road

Bobby Sands who died in a Hunger Strike Whilst imprisoned by the British.

The peace wall dividing Catholics from Protestants.  Imagine if you had to build a cage round your back  garden.

King William of Orange on the Unionist Shankill Estate.

Battle of Talavera, The Duke of Wellington was an Irish Protestant.

A little warning : You are being watched !!!

The story behind the Red Hand of Ulster.  Two guys raced a boat from Scotland to Ulster to become the King.  One guy chopped his hand of and threw it onto the shore to become king !!!

The first King of Ulster.

Gillian, Dean and Grant at the Peace wall.