Belfast Entries – A Selection of Favourites

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Church Lane and the Cemetery of Forgotten Souls

Belfast Entries has been running for over 2 years now with nearly 200 articles published covering forgotten heroes, fascinating histories, ghosts, myths & legends and the histories of our towns, streets, and buildings. We look at the events of those day from the common man’s perspective – what was it like to live in those times or walk those streets?

The most popular articles are shown at the foot of each post but we are sometimes asked about our personal favourites. As in all things, opinions differ and there are some that we loved that were not widely read.

The list below includes some of our favourite posts.

The Ghosts of St George’s – The Cemetery of Forgotten Souls

Hy Brasil – The True Story of a Mythical Island

A 1572 map from Abraham Ortelius that shows Brasil to the west of Ireland. — Hy Brasil was an island off the coast of Ireland seen by many over a thousand years until it vanished only to reappear every 7 years

Lucifers Inferno & its Ghosts – M illfield, Belfast 1882

The Lucifer Fire — The tragic loss of life at Lucifers Matchstick Factory in Belfast 1882 serves as a reminder of the poor working conditions of our ancestors

Shipwreck! The Story of the Girona

Girona shipwreck (Unknown artist-engraver. Possible re-publication of a plate first issued in 1888 - Wikipedia) — The Girona story covers the Spanish Armada of 1588, war at sea, nature unleased and death. Only the Girona treasures remain.

Getting started on your family tree

Mother & Child - Public Domain — As you begin to uncover your ancestors, they will not just be names on a page but living people with lives and characters of their own.

How a Belfast Company helped defeat a killer disease

Edwards Desicatted Soup advert — The story of one Belfast company’s contribution to the fight on the twin challenges of scurvy and food poverty – Edwards Desiccated Foods

Nora’s Grave – A True Story of Love & Death

Bodies Illustration at the scene Belfast Telegraph 13th March 1890 — The love story of Nora Tattersall & George Arthur and their tragic deaths on the Cavehill, County Antrim in 1890 resonates to this day

Vere Foster – One of the greatest men you’ve never heard of

Barney Hughes – The baker “beloved by the working classes”

Belfast Bap - from Rileys Home Bakery — Barney Hughes is remembered for his desire for social justice, his unstinting generosity and humanitarian reform, but also for the Belfast Bap

Galboly – The County Antrim Village Lost in Time

Thatched Cottage at Galboly Village — In the picturesque glens of Antrim lies the abandoned village of Galboly. Hidden from view, its derelict cottage ruins recall a bygone age.

Saint Mary’s Church, Belfast – An inspirational story

James Haddock – The Ghost Who Gave Evidence in Court

Haddock's appearance in court - AI Image © Microsoft Bing — Haddock’s appearance in court – AI Image © Microsoft Bing

Shankill Graveyard – A Fascinating History

Shankill Gatepost Sign — Shankill Graveyard has a fascinating 1,500 year history featuring St Patrick, plagues, famine, a bullaun stone & Resurrection Men

O’Hanlon’s Belfast – Walks Among the Poor 1852

Public Domain - Poor — O’Hanlon’s Letters, collected in “Walks Among the Poor of Belfast”, is a fascinating insight into the lives of Belfast’s poor in 1852

The Last Witch Trial in Ireland

The Stocks at Purity Lane — The last witch trial to reach a verdict in Ireland took place in March 1711 at the Old Courthouse in Carrickfergus.

Ardoyne – The Story of a Village

Welcome to Ardoyne — Today Ardoyne is a busy working-class district in north Belfast. However it was once a village in beautiful countryside. This is it’s story.

The Forgotten Town of Coole & the Church of the Holy Evangelists

Church of the Holy Evangelists from the graveyard — The story of Coole parish includes a forgotten town, supernatural pacts, philanthropy & the history of the Church of the Holy Evangelists

The Inn, the Jailhouse and Robb’s Department Store, Belfast

Castle Place,Belfast 1843 -By French artist Alphonse Dousseau. Note the First Bank Buildings in the background (initially known as Cunningham's Bank) — The surprising history of Robb’s Department Store in Belfast’s Castle Place includes a famous Belfast inn, a rebellion and a jailhouse.

Body Snatchers – Death, Resurrection Men… and Murder

Dunegore Mort-House — In 18th century Ireland body snatching was a real problem throughout the country. A variety of tactics were employed to deter the thieves…

Ballymacarrett – From a Rural Village to a Shipbuilding Giant

The Yardmen with Samson & Goliath cranes — A history of Ballymacarrett from it’s rural beginnings, to a small village and subsequent emergence as a hub of Belfast industry & enterprise

Belfast’s Theatre Royal – Built 3 Times, Destroyed 3 Times

Theatre Royal Belfast 1880 — The story of Belfast’s Theatre Royal from it’s creation in 1793 to its unfortunate end in 1915. A history of both success and disaster

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Belfast Entries is a husband & wife hobby website featuring articles on our shared history, memories and entertaining stories of our past. To help us meet rising website hosting costs please click the coffee cup below to learn how to make a small donation. Please note that every contribution is valued and that we will not contact you directly in order to respect your privacy.

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What are others reading now?

Galboly – The County Antrim Village Lost in Time

By P&P / 30 September 2021 / 4 Comments

Mill chimney - a common sight in Belfast

Ardoyne – The Story of a Village

By P&P / 13 November 2021 / 2 Comments

Nora’s Grave – A True Story of Love & Death

By P&P / 19 March 2022 / 0 Comments

Have you seen Charlie Chaplin on Joy Street, Belfast?

By P&P / 13 August 2021 / 2 Comments

View from the front of Hannahstown Church

Hannahstown & it’s Church on the Hill – A Turbulent History

By P&P / 1 January 2022 / 11 Comments

Belfast Long Bridge crossed the River Lagan between 1688 and 1841

Unusual Laws in Old Belfast 1613 – 1816

By P&P / 11 March 2022 / 0 Comments

Old Belfast Castles – What lies beneath our streets?

By P&P / 12 April 2021 / 0 Comments

Pottinger’s Entry – One of Belfast’s oldest streets

By P&P / 9 November 2021 / 2 Comments

Vere Foster – One of the greatest men you’ve never heard of

By P&P / 15 June 2021 / 29 Comments

Barney Hughes – The baker “beloved by the working classes”

By P&P / 3 March 2021 / 4 Comments

Click here to see a complete list of all Belfast Entries posts to date

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