ESSENTIAL CITY GUIDES
Europe’s leading publisher of locally produced city
guides
Free Download
Features
Go West
A few issues back, we launched a campaign to find the perfect, insult-free way to describe people from Belfast. There are Dubliners, Glaswegians, Berliners... even Scousers, but no regularly-used moniker for this city’s inhabitants. The call went out, the names were hurled and, after much probing and digesting, the final decision has been made. And the winner is... Belfastians.Yes, it may be a bit of a mouthful, but it takes a big word to encapsulate citizens from the city that spawned Titanic, the Belfast Giants, Gulliver’s Travels and big yellow cranes Samson and Goliath. Talk about pitching above your weight. Typical Belfastians.
Speaking of Titanic, the big ship’s Belfast birth is celebrated in the annual Titanic Made in Belfast Festival from 3-11 April. To get you in the mood, check out our Titanic in Belfast feature for the lowdown on this iconic, ill-fated vessel.
Another global icon, St. Patrick, is celebrated in the town where he is reputedly buried. Find out all about Downpatrick’s big Festival - and not Dowpatrick as we have erroneously typed on our cover... oops, sorry St. Pat, we'll make it up with super-good behaviour. And how you can go a saintly shade of green by foot and rail.
NI Highlights and Hidden Gems is our regular rundown of all that’s great about these six counties. And if you fancy exploring the historic Walled City of Derry, haste ye here where you’ll find all sorts of info to prompt the journey West. Whatever you do, enjoy your NI sojourn, and share your experiences with us at belfast@inyourpocket.com.
And finally, take five minutes to complete our Reader Survey and you could win a sutcase full of global gifts.
Cover pic: The West Belfast Taxi Association has been shuttling passengers in and out of town from West and North Belfast for many decades, providing invaluable public transport through good times and bad. See the city through the drivers' eyes on a Taxi Trax Tour starting from their shiny new city centre HQ.
OUR Belfast HIGHLIGHTS
-
W5
NI's only science and discovery centre has over 160 interactive exhibits across several spacious levels, and a changing programme of workshops and events. Its location in the Odyssey Pavilion af
Read on -
Share Holiday Village
Established in 1981, Share is Ireland's largest activity centre and a pioneer in bringing together disabled and non-disabled people through its educational, recreational and creative arts programmes.
Read on -
Shopping on the Lisburn Road
If your idea of retail heaven is exploring some really great independent shops, a stroll down South Belfast's Lisburn Road is an absolute must. Undoubtedly the most affluent retail area outside the c
Read on -
Ulster Folk and Transport Museum
Stroll through this outdoor collection of lovingly-restored 18th century buildings and let the costumed guides bring history to life. The transport section houses an impressive collection of steam tr
Read on -
Belfast City Sightseeing Bus Tour
This open-top bus takes a 90min, 8km round-trip along some of the city's most impressive and evocative sights and includes 21 hop-on/hop-off points. Starting at Castle Place, the tour dips into the T
Read on -
Belfast Palace Hostel
This hostel is part of the Ireland-wide Paddy Wagon tour circuit with a minibus connecting hostels in Dublin, Derry, Dingle and Killarney. Black Taxi and walking tours operate daily and there's
Read on
Latest Belfast Comments
great shop been using it for many a years now,and always have to put money into "nigs drink fund"last shop was burnt down,but tbh it lead to a bigger and maybe better location![...]
the owner is a very hard worker wooman i never seen that before running 2 busnesses in this hard time.she never drop and she beleive in what she s doing.she s also 1 of the best in doing african hair in northernirland.my friend have 2 inch of hair a[...]
07840683749 is number for shop till i get a web site up and rinnin dont forget i buy vinyl and cds for cash or exchangeyou can email at backbeat11@hotmail.co.uk[...]
Top place, Backbeat. Proper music.[...]
Great first course, very poor main and very average dessert. Booked three weeks in advance and specifically asked if they could accomodate someone on a gluten free diet and was told that they could. However on the night that turned out not to be the[...]
Walked into Belfasts new little tea room situated at Parsons my old tailorsCrafty Manor Tea shop within Craftworkshop. Love all the china tea cups and tea selection! Was just so homely[...]
the credit crunch is not over yet folks.but we struggle on as normal,new labels in this month.thanks for the support to all the people who come in and help keep the dream alive,i am still a rock n role junkie,i sold my soul for rock n role a long ti[...]
seriously great food and what a cool shop[...]
I love it so go and try it there food is gorg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![...]
Ate it all up - as in "eat your dinner dear boy"[...]
Of course you have to pay for your children, don't be so stupid. they run a buffte an have to be strict on that or people would take advantage[...]
I have eaten in the red panda in the odyssey several times which was excellent, could not fault anything.I have tried the one in the city centre and unfortunately i can not say the same about it the staff were slow to notice you needed something but[...]
My partner, daughter and I visited this place on sunday January 17th and was absolutely horrific. No eye contact was made when entering and no notices to say it was self service. We had never been before and were visiting from Scotland. Eventaully a[...]
Ganet: Eating everything, greedy f**k. Steek/Spide: corsa driving kappa wearing lad. Hallion:scamp, mischevious scallywag: "He's a wee hallion so he is". Dote: Lovely, nice person: "Thon ba's a dote".[...]
good shop but it needs a website!![...]