Cathedral Quarter, Belfast facts for kids
The Cathedral Quarter (Irish: Ceathrú na hArdeaglaise) in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is a growing part of the city. It's located in the city centre, roughly between Royal Avenue (where the Belfast Central Library is) and the Dunbar Link. The area gets its name because St Anne's Cathedral, a Church of Ireland church, is right at its heart.
This area was once known for trade and warehouses. A small part behind the cathedral was even called the Half Bap. Another section, "Little Italy," was on the other side of Great Patrick Street. Today, the Cathedral Quarter is becoming a lively cultural hub.
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History of the Cathedral Quarter
For a long time, the Cathedral Quarter was the main place for trade and storage in Belfast. This happened because of the city's successful linen and shipbuilding industries. You can still find some of Belfast's oldest buildings and streets here, like Waring Street and Hill Street.
Over the last century, the area became less busy. But recently, it has started to change into a special 'cultural quarter' for Belfast. Some parts, like North Street, are still being developed, but the whole area is getting a new look.
A Hub for Culture and Arts
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The Cathedral Quarter is now known as a cultural area because many arts and culture groups have moved here. Like other famous cultural spots, low rent and a central city location attracted lots of creative people and organizations. For example, you can find Northern Visions TV (Belfast Community Television), The Safehouse Arts Gallery, and Belfast Print Workshop here. Even Belfast's Zen Meditation community has its main office in Cathedral Buildings.
A fire in 2004 damaged the North Street Arcade, an old building from the 1930s. This slowed down some of the area's growth for a while.
Literary Connections
The Cathedral Quarter has a rich history with writing and books. The Northern Whig was a popular newspaper in the 1800s, similar to Punch, and its office was here. Today, that building is a pub and restaurant. The satirical newspaper The Vacuum still has its offices in the area.
The Cathedral Quarter is also very close to the Belfast Central Library and the offices of local newspapers like the Belfast Telegraph, Sunday World, and The Irish News.
A popular pub in the area is named after the Belfast poet John Hewitt. This pub often shows interesting artwork and photos, sometimes about political topics.
Custom House Square: A Public Space
Belfast's Custom House is right on the edge of the Cathedral Quarter, by the city's Laganside riverbank. In the past, it was a popular spot for public speakers, much like London's Speakers' Corner. People would gather to have lively debates on different subjects.
Today, this area is called Custom House Square. It hosts many different events, from family-friendly performances to large music concerts, DJ shows, and circus acts. In autumn 2008, it even hosted a festival of roots, folk, and country music from around the world. This square is a busy place for events throughout the year.
Arts Festivals and Music
The annual Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival in late spring is one of Belfast's biggest cultural events. It's known internationally and brings in many performers from different countries. Another festival, the Out to Lunch Arts Festival, also happens in the Cathedral Quarter in January and lasts for most of the month.
The Belfast campus of the Ulster University is also central to the area. Nearby North Street was famous for its music venues during the punk movement of the 1970s. Bands like The Undertones often visited the University of Ulster's student union building. A local punk music producer, Terri Hooley, even had a record store called Cathedral Records here before the 2004 fire.
Other Arts Organizations
Many other arts groups are active in the Cathedral Quarter, including:
- Northern Visions/ N.V.TV. (a local TV station and media project)
- Belfast Exposed
- Factotum (publisher of The Vacuum newspaper)
- The Black Box
- The Oh Yeah Music Centre
- Belfast Community Circus School
- Belfast Film Festival
- Craft Northern Ireland
While many artists have studios here, they are usually not open to the public. However, various cultural and community groups hold meetings in the area that people can attend.
St Anne's Cathedral as a Venue
The cathedral itself is a place for cultural events, including music concerts in the evenings and sometimes at lunchtime. These concerts feature musicians linked to the cathedral or independent artists. The cathedral choir often performs sung services, and the organist plays beautiful music. Everyone is welcome to attend these services and concerts, no matter their beliefs.
Northern Ireland War Memorial
The Northern Ireland War Memorial is a museum and exhibition space located on Talbot Street, next to the cathedral. It was opened recently to remember those who served in wars.
The Emer Gallery
On the corner of Donegall Street and Waring Street, an old bank building has become a city centre location for The Emer Gallery. This gallery, which is also based near Cavehill, held a large exhibition of artist J. B. Vallely's work. The building is a great space for art exhibitions. The Emer Gallery is named after a female character from Irish mythology.
The Michelin-starred restaurant, The Muddlers Club, is also located in the Cathedral Quarter.
Developing the Area
The Laganside Corporation helped develop the area with a 'Managed Workspace' plan. This plan invited artists to use workshop spaces that Laganside owned and fixed up. The first project was fixing up an old cotton warehouse in 2002, which was named Cotton Court. Other workspaces are at 23-25 Donegall Street and 9-13 Royal Avenue. It was around this time that the area was officially named the Cathedral Quarter. Because this idea was so popular, other 'quarters' have appeared in Belfast, like the Gaeltacht Quarter, Titanic Quarter, and Queen's Quarter.
In 2003, the city council started improving the streets, laying new paving stones. This led to the opening of Custom House Square in 2004, a public square in front of the old Custom House building.
The Metropolitan Arts Centre (MAC)
In 2006, the Old Museum Arts Centre and the Northern Ireland Arts Council planned to build a special arts venue for the city. This new building, called The Metropolitan Arts Centre (MAC), opened in 2012. It was designed by Hackett Hall McKnight Architects after an architectural design competition. The MAC has won several awards for its design, including the Downes Medal and an RIBA National Award. It was even nominated for a European architecture prize.
Images for kids
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St Anne's Cathedral
