DECEMBER 2025 VISIT TO BELFAST
The weather was very bad for the duration of by visit to Belfast
BELFAST GRAND CENTRAL
The All-Island Strategic Rail Review outlines a transformative future for rail in Ireland, with Belfast Grand Central Station at its core. From reopening the…
THE OCTOPUS'S GARDEN
Located at 1A Wellington Street, just a stone's throw from Belfast City Hall, Octopus’s Garden was a beloved fixture of the city’s independent retail scene.…
UPPER AND LOWER CRESCENT
Explore the history and 2025 restoration of The Upper and Lower Crescent in South Belfast. From the Regency-era vision of Robert Corry and Sir Charles Lanyon to…
BELFAST 2025
While specific day-to-day political events are dynamic, the broader political landscape in Northern Ireland in May/June 2025 continues to involve discussions…
PUBS AND RESTAURANTS
ALL PHOTOGRAPHED BY WILLIAM MURPHY
PAINT-A-BOX STREET ART
RANDOM IMAGES FROM MY MARCH 2022 VISIT
Public Art
EXAMPLES OF PUBLIC ART IN BELFAST CITY
EXPLORING THE ESTATE
YOU REALLY SHOULD VISIT
BELFAST CITY HALL
WILLIAM MURPHY PHOTOGRAPHED THE CITY HALL IN MARCH 2019
THE BEN MADIGAN
A PILOT BOAT IN ACTION ON THE RIVER LAGAN
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF EXCELLENT OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO THE VISITOR
THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
I REALLY DISLIKE THE COMPLEX OF FLYOVERS
MARCH 2022 VISIT TO BELFAST
Belfast in 2022 was in a state of cautious recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Restrictions had eased significantly compared to the previous year, but the…
STREETS OF BELFAST
AL PHOTOGRAPHS PROVIDED BY WILLIAM MURPHY
SANDY ROW AREA
VERY MUCH A UNIONIST AREA OF BELFAST
BELFAST 2014
Belfast in 2014 was a vibrant city with a number of significant events
MAY 2011 VISIT TO BELFAST
Belfast in 2011 was a city of contrasts. It was the largest area in Northern Ireland with a population of 333,871 according to the 2011 Census. However, it was…
EXAMPLES OF STREET ART
All forms of Street art including Murals
MAY 2017 VISIT
Extracts from the 2017 photo catalogue which was created and published by William Murphy
MONROE MURAL ON GREAT PATRICK STREET
Explore the vibrant, neon-drenched street art of Belfast artist HMC (H.M. Constance) on Great Patrick Street near the Ulster University campus. Captured on a…
LAGAN LOOP NEAR STRANMILLIS
Photographing this area provides more than just scenic river views; it captures the evolution of Belfast’s infrastructure. From the pioneering concrete of 1912…
HEFEI WILD GARDEN
Nestled within the grounds is a secluded wooded area that often eludes official maps. While my research initially suggested the presence of various waterways,…
RAVENHILL GATEWAY TO NOWHERE
Belfast’s Beautiful Dead End: The Mystery of the Ravenhill "Gateway to Nowhere"
FIRST TIME TO VISIT RAVENHILL ROAD
Discover the history and modern evolution of Ravenhill Road in Belfast. From its 19th-century origins as a racing stud estate to its current status as a premier…
MURALS AT GRAND CENTRAL 10 JULY 2026
Explore the vibrant new street art gallery at Belfast Grand Central Station. Discover the stories behind the Durham Street and Grosvenor Road murals, featuring…
BELFAST CITY CEMETERY JULY 2026
Discover a personal documentary account of navigating safety, history, and photography at Belfast City Cemetery. Learn why an early morning strategy is…
ORMEAU PARK 9 JULY 2026
Explore the rich history, current status, and future landscape plans for Ormeau Park, Belfast's oldest and largest municipal green space. Discover its origin as…
WOOD SCULPTURES
Discover the unique public wood carvings of Ormeau Park in Belfast. From the iconic Eurasian Jay sculpture—a monument to oak forest regeneration—to the…
POYNTZPASS TO MULLAGLASS
Discover the rich railway heritage and glacial drumlin landscapes of Ireland with this visual documentation of the Dublin–Belfast main line. This section…
HEAVY METAL TITANIC SIGN
Explore the history, weight, and symbolism of the iconic 16-tonne Corten steel Titanic sign in Belfast's Titanic Quarter. Discover how weathered steel…
THE SEARCHER BY MAURICE HATTON
While C.S. Lewis Square features seven large bronze figures by sculptor Maurice Harron depicting characters from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (including…
ROSEMARY LANE STREET ART GALLERY
Explore the stark contrasts of Rosemary Street and Lower Garfield Street in Belfast city centre. Discover the historic 1783 First Presbyterian Church, the…
THE FAMOUS CRANES
A photographer's journey navigating the vast scale of Belfast's Titanic Quarter to capture the iconic Harland & Wolff cranes, Samson and Goliath. This piece…
HIDDEN PEOPLE
We often think of public art as something that shouts for attention—giant stone monuments dominating open squares or brightly coloured murals claiming entire…
HERDMAN MONUMENT
Discover the history of the Egyptian Revivalist Herdman Monument in Belfast City Cemetery, the industrial legacy of the Herdman family flax mills, and the…
SCULPTURE BY VIVIEN BURNSIDE
Discover "Dividers", the monumental 8.3m bronze sculpture by artist Vivien Burnside at Belfast's historic Clarendon Dock. Explore the art, the artist's history,…
MORE LIKE LIVING IN REVELATIONS
The canvas is populated by Phlegm's signature surreal, spindly-limbed creatures, whimsical hybrid figures, odd contraptions, and towering wooden structures. In…
GROSVENOR ROAD
Discover the history of the heavily fortified building on Grosvenor Road, directly across from Belfast Grand Central Station. Once the strategic headquarters of…
MURAL AT 135 ORMEAU ROAD
Discover the story behind Reflections, the vibrant 45ft mural at the junction of University Street and Ormeau Road in Belfast. Painted by world-renowned street…
WOOD CARVINGS
Uncover the mystery of the Stormont Estate wood carvings. From off-the-shelf fairy doors to the spectacular, locally crafted "Stormont Giant" hidden in the…
TH BLACKBIRD'S BAND
What many visitors do not realise is that the Dromara Street piece has a twin. Its sister sculpture sits just a short walk away in the grounds of the Ormeau…
STORMONT ESTATE JULY 2026
The Stormont Estate in east Belfast is widely known through the metonym "Stormont" to describe the seat of governance in Northern Ireland. Beyond its rolling…
CS LEWIS SQUARE 8 JULY 2026
Opened in late 2016 to mark the 53rd anniversary of the author's death, the square celebrates Belfast-born Clive Staples Lewis (1898–1963). While best known for…
K6 PHONE KIOSK JULY 2026
Discover the history and 2026 restoration of Belfast's historic 1769 Assembly Rooms and the listed red K6 Jubilee telephone kiosk at the intersection of North…
THE BELIEVE IN MAGIC ERROR
As it turns out, discovering the truth was a bit like finding out that Santa is a fiction. Except for the spectacular, bespoke Stormont Giant—which is indeed a…
HAMILTON ROAD AT BELFAST HARBOUR
A photographic exploration of Hamilton Road in Belfast Harbour’s Titanic Quarter using the Leica Q3. Discover the industrial grit and the confusing,…
URBAN EXPRESSION AND DEPRESSION
A photographic and historical exploration of Belfast's Inner North West. From the raw car-park graffiti of Winetavern Street to the high-concept, world-class…
THE ECHOING BELOW SCULPTURE
By leaving these dogs and their owners in the composition, the photographs capture a brilliant contrast. Lönze’s sculpture beautifully commands us to remember…
CITY QUAYS GARDENS
Discover City Quays Gardens, Belfast’s award-winning two-acre urban park. Learn about its One Planet Living sustainability standards, rich maritime heritage…
OPPOSITE THE GASWORKS
Discover the secret history of Belfast's McConnell Weir along the East Bank of the River Lagan. Read an atmospheric photography account during Storm Bram in…
STRANMILLIS EMBANKMENT JULY 2026
When most people speak of Stranmillis, they describe one of South Belfast’s most affluent, leafy, and prized quarters. It is an area defined by Queen’s…
STRANMILLIS EMBANKMENT DURING STORM BRAM
A stormy documentary walk along Belfast's Stranmillis Embankment during Storm Bram, capturing the dramatic transition from the cultural heights of the Lyric…
AN ATTRACTIVE CHURCH
Discover the architectural history of the Iglesia Ni Cristo church building on University Avenue near Queen's University Belfast. Designed in 1937 by…
