Belfast City Hall

When Queen Victoria granted city status to Belfast, it was quickly decided that a grand building was needed to mark the occasion. This led to the construction of City Hall, which officially opened on 1st August 1906. This Baroque Revival-style building stands today as both a symbol of Belfast’s pride and a functioning government building. Like much of the city, it shares a strong connection to the Titanic. Viscount William Pirrie, who was Lord Mayor just before construction began, was also the managing director of Harland and Wolff (H&W) – the shipyard that built Titanic. Pirrie's vision shaped both projects and resulted in the involvement of some of his most skilled craftsmen to work on City Hall’s interiors. Many of the features inside are believed to resemble Titanic’s lounges and suites, particularly the ornate carved panelling. It’s a stunning building to visit – and with plenty of accessibility features, it’s well worth the trip if you’re in the city.

The disabled loo nearest to the cafe is just beside the gents - there is no signage. Today the door to the gents was wedged open and you could see the urinals in the mirror - security did shut it. I complained to the Head of Security and he said there had been a blockage in the gents' and they wanted to ventilate the area - he was very courteous but the whole episode reminded me of the Irish RM.