The Belfast Entries are a series of historical narrow alleyways in the city centre of

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

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, mostly in the vicinity of High Street and Ann Street. When the town was first laid out, these alleyways serviced dense residential and commercial development. The surviving examples retain pockets of historic development including many Victorian and pre-Victorian period

pubs A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption Licensing laws of the United Kingdom#On-licence, on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the ...

, some of which remain open for business to this day. Lonely Planet
/ref> Former Social Development Minister David Hanson described the Entries as the streets "where Belfast began and developed into the city it is today". NICS Press Release
/ref> Dating back to at least 1630 but most probably earlier than that, these entries are the oldest parts of Belfast city. The entries running north from High Street were largely destroyed during the

Belfast Blitz The Belfast Blitz consisted of four German air raids on strategic targets in the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland, in April and May 1941 during World War II, causing high casualties. The first was on the night of 78 April 1941, a small atta ...

in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Victorian Web
/ref> Despite this, some remain. In 2006 and 2007, a number of the Entries underwent environmental refurbishment to improve their condition.

The Entries

Pottinger's Entry

Pottinger's Entry ( ) connects Ann Street with High Street in almost a straight line. The principal attraction is a Victorian pub, The Morning Star. The arched entrance from Ann Street is also Victorian and was retained when the original building was demolished in the 1990s. This entrance is a popular spot for buskers. This is undoubtedly the most obvious of the Entries, featuring large wrought-iron signs above each entrance archway.

Winecellar Entry

A small Entry just off Lombard Street, Winecellar Entry is home to White's Tavern, a

pub A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...

founded in 1630. Whilst considered to be the longest serving pub in Belfast, it has managed to retain much of its authenticity.

Crown Entry

Crown Entry is medium-sized and connects Ann Street to High Street.

Joy's Entry

Joy's Entry is particularly narrow and connects Ann Street to High Street. It has several pubs, including Henry’s and The Jailhouse. The Entry takes its name from the Joy family who were prominent 18th century residents of the city, including Francis Joy, founder of '' The Belfast News Letter'', and his grandson Henry Joy McCracken, after whom the pub is named.

Wilson's Court

An Entry just off Ann Street.

Castle Arcade

Castle Arcade, although a historic route, now lacks character due to the modern buildings on either side. It cuts diagonally from Cornmarket/High Street to Castle Lane. Several large historical photographs of the Entry are permanently displayed on the walls.

Sugar House Entry

Running parallel to Bridge Street from north side of High Street, it runs to Waring Street. It is now a through route again - it had been sealed off between 1972 and 2024. Kremlin Associates Ltd purchased the former War Memorial Building on Waring Street in 2015. They converted the building into a hotel and played a role in the renewal of the entry as a through route.

References

{{reflist

External links

Morning Star pub
Streets in Belfast History of Belfast