William Murphy

ASLAN THE MAJESTIC LION – CS LEWIS SQUARE CONN’S WATER BELFAST

June 1, 2025 by infomatique

I PHOTOGRAPHED THIS ON A REALLY WET AND WINDY DAY

Aslan: The majestic lion, representing courage, hope, and wisdom, is the central and largest sculpture, often positioned on a rock, overseeing the square. He embodies the benevolent, powerful force of good in Narnia.

The square is open 24 hours a day and is fully illuminated, allowing for visits at any time. The adjoining EastSide Visitor Centre offers further information about Lewis and East Belfast, along with the ‘JACK Coffee Bar’ for refreshments, providing a comprehensive and engaging experience for all who visit.

DERELICT ULSTER BANK BUILDING – NEWTOWNARDS ROAD BELFAST

June 1, 2025 by infomatique

PHOTOGRAPHED USING A FUJI GFX100RF CAMERA

I traveled by the Glider to Conn’s Water with the intention of visiting the CS Lewis Square but I also took the opportunity to explore a section of the Newtownards Road.

Derelict Ulster Bank Building

The former Ulster Bank building is located at 431-441 Newtownards Road, Belfast, BT4 1PG. It’s a three-storey building designed in 1918 by Blackwood & Jury. The building has a Neo-Georgian style, featuring a curved ground floor with a central doorway flanked by casement windows. Above, a canted two-storey bay with casement windows is flanked by pairs of sash windows. At roof level, there’s a balustrade with a central coat of arms. The building is constructed from Donegal Sandstone and polished black granite.

The Ulster Bank relocated from this building to Connswater Retail Park in early 1998. From March 1998 to March 2013, the building was leased to Ferris, Craig & Moore (FCM Partnership). It was offered for sale in 2013 and sold in October of the same year. The Orange Order occupied the building’s offices temporarily between December 2013 and June 2015 during refurbishment works at Schomberg House. The building was B2 listed in April 2016. In February 2021, a planning application was submitted to convert the upper floors into seven apartments.

Derelict Buildings on Newtownards Road

The Newtownards Road has suffered from dereliction, exacerbated by the Troubles and the closure of public buildings. Several factors have contributed to this decline:

Decline of heavy industry: This has reduced the disposable income of local residents.
Changing retail patterns: The development of shopping centres has drawn business away from the road.
Migration to the suburbs: People moved from inner East Belfast to outlying estates.
Regeneration efforts: Displacement of the local population during regeneration projects.
Other issues include a poor streetscape, lack of open space, and poor housing stock. The area is recognised as an area of deprivation. There have been calls for government investment to address the dereliction.

Recent reports mention that many shops are boarded up. Some suggest that businesses might be paying “protection money”. However, other reports indicate new businesses are opening and doing well.

ST MALACHY’S CHURCH ON ALFRED STREET IN BELFAST I WAS INVITED IN TO PHOTOGRAPH THE INTERIOR

May 31, 2025 by infomatique

PHOTOGRAPHED USING A FUJIFILM GFX100RF

St Malachy’s Church, located on Alfred Street, a short distance from Belfast City Hall, stands as one of Belfast’s most distinctive and historically significant ecclesiastical buildings. Its foundation stone was laid on 3rd November 1841, and the church was dedicated on 15th December 1844 by Dr William Crolly, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland. It is the third oldest Catholic church in the city.

The church was designed by Thomas Jackson of Waterford, and it is celebrated as one of the finest examples of Tudor Revival architecture in Ireland. Its exterior strikingly resembles a Tudor castle, complete with arrow slits, octagonal towers, and pinnacles, leading some to affectionately refer to it as ‘The Citadel of the Faith’. The cruciform-shaped building measures 113 feet long, 52 feet wide, and 40 feet high.

However, it is the interior of St Malachy’s that truly captivates visitors. The highlight is undoubtedly its remarkable fan-vaulted ceiling, an exquisite imitation of the Henry VII Chapel in Westminster Abbey. This elaborate plasterwork has been described as “creamy, lacy and frothy,” resembling “a wedding cake turned inside out.” The original High Altar, pulpit, and altar rails were crafted from Irish oak but were replaced with marble during a renovation in 1926, though the original pulpit canopy remains. The sanctuary floor features a mosaic, predominantly in blue, with a depiction of a pelican – a common Christian symbol of sacrifice – at the foot of the altar. The church also boasts a gallery accessed by a double oak staircase and houses an organ by the renowned Telford family of Dublin, considered one of Ulster’s most important.

Originally intended to be the Cathedral Church of the Diocese of Down and Connor, capable of seating 7,000 worshippers, these grand plans were curtailed, partly due to the onset of the Great Famine. Over the years, the church has undergone several renovations, most notably a major refurbishment programme in the past decade which restored the building to its former glory. This extensive work, which included the replacement of approximately 30,000 handmade bricks and sensitive internal restoration, won numerous awards, including the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors NI Project of the Year Award 2010.

St Malachy’s Church remains an active place of worship and a significant landmark, drawing visitors for its architectural beauty and historical resonance.

STREET ART AT YORK LANE WITH THE MOST NOTABLE BEING BY SOPHI ODLING FROM AUSTRALIA

May 31, 2025 by infomatique

ULSTER UNIVERSITY CAMPUS IN BELFAST CITY

Street Art at York Lane, Ulster University City Campus

The area around York Lane and York Street in Belfast is a dynamic showcase for public art, with an array of murals and installations enriching the urban environment.

A particularly striking addition to the street art scene in York Lane is a substantial mural by Sophi Odling, an Australian artist celebrated for her bold, large-scale works that inject colour and vitality into cityscapes globally. Odling’s mural, entitled “Tomorrow,” was created in York Lane (specifically behind the D block of the new Ulster University building) as part of the “Hit the North 2024” festival. The artwork beautifully portrays a young person dreaming of their future endeavours, weaving a narrative inspired by the diverse people, cultures, and environments the artist encounters.

Born in Seoul, South Korea, in 1983, and raised in Sydney, Australia, Sophi Odling transitioned to mural painting in 2017 after a 14-year career in the fashion industry. Her vibrant creations champion cultural diversity, youthfulness, and open-mindedness, acting as a powerful call to embrace unity, curiosity, and the shared beauty of our global community. Her murals can be found on walls across Europe, the Middle East, the Americas, Southeast Asia, and Australia.

THE LOCK AND PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE AT STRANMILLIS

May 31, 2025 by infomatique

THE RIVER LAGAN 27 MAY 2025 – I USED A LEICA Q3

The Lagan, Stranmillis, and the River Walk: A Blend of Progress and Persisting Problems
My recent visit to Belfast on 27th May 2025 offered a fresh perspective on the ongoing development along the River Lagan. While significant progress has been made in enhancing the city’s riverside, particularly around Stranmillis, the persistent issue of graffiti continues to detract from these valuable public spaces.

The Lagan Gateway scheme has been instrumental in transforming the riverfront. During my previous visit in 2022, I was just a few days shy of witnessing the opening of Belfast’s first new navigation lock in over 250 years. This lock, situated beneath the Stranmillis Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge (which opened in September 2021), is a testament to the city’s commitment to revitalising its waterways. The broader scheme also included crucial refurbishments to the existing weir, along with thoughtful landscaping and the creation of new path connections, all designed to improve accessibility and enjoyment of the river.

I highly recommend exploring the Lagan Towpath to anyone visiting Belfast. A walk as far as the new Stranmillis Pedestrian Bridge provides an excellent vantage point to appreciate the scale of these developments. However, it’s impossible to ignore the pervasive problem of poor-quality graffiti that unfortunately blights much of the river walk. Despite the considerable time and effort invested in developing these pathways, the sheer volume of meritless tagging is disheartening. I was particularly struck by one instance of graffiti on what appeared to be an almost impossibly high and inaccessible section of the bridge structure, raising questions about how such vandalism occurs.

The contrast between the impressive infrastructure improvements and the widespread graffiti highlights an ongoing challenge for urban development. While the Lagan Gateway scheme has undeniably enhanced the aesthetic and recreational value of the river, the issue of vandalism demands further attention to ensure these valuable public amenities can be fully appreciated by all.