A Tourist in my Own City of Belfast
A riverside wander, street art, and the best coleslaw in the North
Hey everyone! Welcome to my eleventh in a series of travel blogs about the adventures I have gone on, as poet in residence at Belfast Grand Central Station and places you can travel to as well from the station.
This time I thought I’d do something a little different and spend a whole day being a tourist in my own city, Belfast. I had a friend visiting, so it was the perfect chance to show them around, using only buses, trains, and the Glider.
We started out on the Glider from Shaw’s Road in West Belfast, gliding through Andersonstown. First stop was the James Connolly Visitor Centre, and then over to Cultúrlann for a proper Irish breakfast surrounded by art and language. A morning stroll in Falls Park gave us some fresh air, and I couldn’t resist taking my friend into St. Louise’s School, where I studied. It was lovely sharing those memories.
Back on the Glider into town, we got off near Tim Hortons and walked over to the Linen Hall Library—one of my favourite spots in the city. After a browse, it was onwards to Custom House Square and straight on the Glider again to the Titanic Quarter.
We spent a good while in Titanic Belfast, and then wandered outside to the old dock and Pump-House. Standing there, looking down into the massive dry dock where Titanic was fitted out, you get such a strong sense of the scale of the ship and the history of the workers who built her. My friend was amazed that you could still touch the stone where Titanic once rested—it felt like reaching back into the city’s industrial heartbeat.
Crossing back over the river afterwards, we stopped at the Big Fish and wandered through the new gardens in the Harbour Estate—so good to see fresh green space opening up by the water.
Next stop was CS Lewis Square, where we tucked into pizza at Flout before browsing the stalls at the East Belfast Bazaar Market. I showed my friend the poly tunnels where I once ran eco workshops with children through Groundwork NI—it brought back a lot of good memories.
The Glider carried us back into the city, where I met up with my friend, poet Maureen Boyle, in Ormeau Park. After coffee, we strolled along the embankment, chatted about writing, and wandered towards the Queen’s Quarter. We stopped into No Alibis, flicked through the shelves at Oxfam Books, poked around vintage shops, and then grabbed rice plates at Madame Pho.
From Botanic Station, we caught the train to Grand Central Station. I was so proud to show my visiting friend around—this new station is already a landmark in the city, and it’s where I’ve been working on my residency. We grabbed a coffee with Professor Frank Ferguson from Ulster University, and our conversation naturally turned to the idea of the “Weaving Poets”—writers who thread together the voices of working people, industry, and community into their art. We even talked about John Hewitt’s book on the weaving poets, and how those voices echo in today’s Belfast, stitched through the fabric of stations, streets, and stories.
Then it was just a short hop by train to York Street Station, where I showed my friend the Linework poem I wrote for the new underpass. Seeing it there in the open air, part of the daily rhythm of commuters and students, felt so alive—poetry as part of the cityscape.
Our last stop was Seaton’s in Sailortown, where I told them the story of Molly Seaton, one of the great women’s footballers. After that, it was back on the Metro bus to head home, tired but happy after a day packed with people, places, and stories.
It struck me again that Belfast is a city best explored in motion, and with Translink it’s all joined up—Glider, trains, buses—seamlessly connecting the past, the present, and the people who live here. Being a tourist in your own city is always worth it.
And if you’re planning your own Belfast adventure, the Journey Planner makes it easy to map out a day full of discoveries.