Belfast 400 Years A City

The big 4 0 0! Belfast grew from a humble settlement to town status on 27th April 1613 when King James I granted it a Royal Charter to establish a small quay. It was the beginning of Belfast and the Port of Belfast as we know it.

Belfast was soon to become famous for rope, linen, tobacco and shipbuilding and it was Queen Victoria in 1888 that turned the town into the City of Belfast. Just a few years later the Belfast coat of arms was created, a few years after that, the new City Hall started to be built and Belfast was on the up.

However in the early part of the twentieth century tragedy struck with the outbreak of World War One and the sinking of Belfast’s most famous ship RMS Titanic.

Belfast, the settlement, which became a town, which became a city, takes its name from the Irish Béal Féirste and sits where three rivers meet, the River Lagan, the Farset and the Blackstaff.

Given the city's more recent past, reaching 400 is especially special and Belfast City Council is pulling out all the stops to organise fun - so enjoy!!!

To mark the big day, the University of Ulster presented a specially commissioned painting of Belfast City Hall to the Lord Mayor. The art by Colin Davidson was presented to the Lord Mayor Gavin Robinson at Belfast City Hall.