Belfast has always fascinated me, its rich folklore, development tragedies, warts and all. So I thought I would weave the story of Belfast with interesting little antidotes and significant facts on the growth of Belfast through the years. And so as I must begin somewhere lets start at the year

1315 Edward Bruce invades.. Belfast described as, “a good town and stronghold”

1612 Lord Deputy Chichester granted the territory including the Castle (earlier ones having been burned down during risings) of Belfast by Elizabeth the First. Belfast locally referred to as “The Village”.

1613 Charter granted to Belfast, to a Sovereign and twelve Burgesses. Chichester, a former Pirate, was created a Baron, the barony permitted to send two members to Parliament.

1614. 4th February, Richy Bell, of Carrickfergus, executed after having been found guilty of stealing a black horse valued at £3 from person unknown. Also found guilty and executed at the same Assizes was Donald O’Mulchallen for stealing a chisel and bits of iron to the value of 8 shillings and 8 pence, the property of James Hutton of Belfast. Murtagh O’Hamill was also executed for stealing 3 cows, value 20 shillings each, property of Mr. Michael Newby of Whiteabbey.

1620 Records exist of chapels and mass being held at Calendars Fort,(today’s Glen Road) and at Friars Bush(Stranmillis), in the vicinity of Belfast. Chichester builds his first Belfast Castle.

1637 Belfast purchases, from Carrickfergus Corporation, the right of importing commodities at one third the duties payable at other places. The Earl of Stafford sets up Belfast Harbour, in a creek in the River Lagan.

1640 Saltwater Bridge(Later Boyne Bridge) in use to Carr’s Row (Sandy Row).

1642 Town has a large influx of Scottish Settlers. Rampart and ditch built around the town.

1644 Belfast surrenders to General Munro

1649 Massive battle takes place between Round Heads (Cromwell’s Army) led by General Venables and Royalist’s at the “North Wall” (where Academy Street would be today) many were killed and for many years after it right into the 1800’s people spoke of passing through the area at night and hearing the screams of wounded and dying men, musket bangs , sounds of galloping horses, sabres clashing 1649 Massive battle takes place between Round Heads (Cromwell’s Army) led by General Venables and Royalist’s at the “North Wall” (where Academy Street would be today) many were killed and for many years after it right into the 1800’s people spoke of passing through the area at night and hearing the screams of wounded and dying men, musket bangs , sounds of galloping horses, sabres clashing,,, as if the whole battle was being fought again, yet no one ever actually seen a ghost. This “time slip” ghostly phenomena is not so rare. This no doubt is the oldest ghost story linked to Belfast. In this political upheaval, George Martin, great, great grandfather of Henry Joy McCracken (from his mothers side) had his property seized by Parliamentary Forces and he was forced to flee to Scotland. One of his eight sons, another George Martin, was Grandfather to Henry Joy, this George, being a Presbyterian, while Sovereign(Mayor) of Belfast refused to join an Anglican church service. His refusal brought an outraged response form the establishment who declared that never again would a Presbyterian be allowed to be Sovereign of Belfast.

1657 Population of Belfast is 589

1660 “Belfast consists of five streets and five lanes, totalling 150 houses.”

Royal Avenue is the oldest street name linked to Belfast. Royal Avenue was once called Hercules Street after Hercules Langford. Hercules Street was first called Herison’s Lean. Royal Avenue is named after the oldest ever ‘street’ name in Belfast, the name ‘Royal Avenue’ first appeared as the name of a terrace of finer houses back in 1660, when it was recorded that,“Belfast consists of five streets and five lanes, totalling 150 houses”. Royal Avenue was one of ‘the five streets’. The Central Library end of the street was once called John Street.

1672. First Presbyterian Church built.

1688 Belfast is now the second town of Ireland. Sacheverell writes, "Belfast now the second town in Ireland, well built, full of people and of great trade."

1689 Three soldiers shot by court martial order having been found guilty of murdering two ships Masters at Corn Market, they had been drunk.

1690. June, Belfast is bedecked for the arrival of King William of Orange, who is probably the most famous gay person ever to visit Ireland, the Dutchman arrived to do battle with another foreign King, an Englishman, by the name of James somebody or other. William is said to have a hump on his back, in the 1950's if someone was a bit short of money they would say, "I wish I had King Billy's hump full of 3d Bits".(A 3d bit was a coin, which today would be worth about one and a half pence.)

1691 Naiose O’Haughan born , let us now slip back in time and look at the life of this heroic Irish outlaw......

The Legend of Naoise O’Haughan

IF Sherwood Forest has given Nottingham its Robin Hood so too has the Antrim Hills and the Divis Mountains given Belfast, the bold Naoise O’Haughan, our own Robin Hood, an old ballad of his time declares....

“ ‘Tis of a famous highwayman a story I will tell,

His name was Naoise O’Haughan, in Ireland he did dwell.

And on the Antrim Mountains he commenced his wild career,

Where many a wealthy gentleman before him shook with fear.”

Naoise O’Haughan, or Nessy O'Haughan, was born in 1691, a fearful time for Irish people for this was the period immediately following the victory of the Dutchman, King William of Orange over the English Catholic King James, who had fought a battle at the River Boyne a year earlier. Hordes of William’s followers roamed the land killing and looting those they felt were not sympathetic to the Protestant principles of William.

Shane O’Haughan, Naoise’s father and his mother reared their family near Braid, at the foot of Slemish Mountain, they lived as tenants in a small holding belonging to O’Hara, a local wealthy landlord, who owned land throughout the parishes.

In the early 1700’s O’Hara’s men came to evict the O’Haughan family, a terrible part of the persecution visited on many a family in those times. The sight of their mother and father being roughly manhandled by the bailiffs was just to much to bear by the O’Haughan sons, Shane Og, Naoise, Robert, Denis and an adopted son Philomy. A fight broke out in which Shane Og killed one of the bailiffs and from that instance the O’Haughan boys became outlaws, ‘Raparees’.

Moving their parents to safety among sympathetic Presbyterian families, like the Graham’s of Glenwherry, who provided ‘Clachan’ dwellings built on their own land, ruins of one exists to this day at Kerny Hill on the land of David Graham. These Graham’s. My fathers family were supportive in sheltering Naoise and indeed Henry Joy McCracken after he went on the run following the Battle of Antrim in 1798. Naoise and his brothers took to the hills and reeked havoc on the desolate homesteads of those who they felt ‘lackeyed’ to the wishes of the landlords. It would appear that Denis, the adopted son, went off on his own, for soon after he was captured in Carrickfergus when he was spotted wearing the coat of a man he had robbed there just hours before, He was hanged at the nearby gallows.

It was in Glenwherry that Naoise and his band of brothers carried out their ‘Robin Hood’ activities for many stories exist of how they robbed local rich landlords and gave the money to the poor tenants to help pay their ever increasing rents.

It was one of the o’Haughan’s own kinsmen, a James McKinstry from Glenhead, although he is mentioned in the ballad as having taken part in the raids, who ultimately betrayed Naosie‘s brother, Shane Og. The ballad relates of a raid when Naoise and his band, hopelessly outnumbered were being pursued by Redcoats and local lackeys, among whom are mentioned, Beggs and Craig, two families still linked to the area to this day. The Beggs are related ‘Beggs The Glenwherry Poet’ whilst the Craigs built one of the first schoolhouses in the area. When Naoise got to the hills they turned and fired point blank at their pursuers causing them to panic and flee back down the mountain, the old ballad describes well the event....The bold Naoise O’Haughan, and Shane Og, the tory;

Little Owen Murphy and his younger brother Rory;

Randal Dhu Agnew, McKinstry and Maginnis,

Though half the Braid pursue, Make good the upper Tennies.

The last man in the rear had barely cleared the clachan

When a bullet grazed his hair, ‘Twas the burly Naoise O’Haughan.

“Stand comrades now.” he cried “Why flee ye in such a hurry?”

“Let’s tame the Begg’s pride, and cowe the Craigs of Skerry.”

“Range round your chief, my men, they are but shabby fellows;

We’ll fight them one to ten, ere we swing upon the gallows.”With that whizzed through the air, a bullet fue the ca

Which carried off the ear O’ singing Robin Allen.

Naoise and his band of wild raparees continued to torment and rob the rich but being so hopelessly outnumbered, and by the betrayal of lackeys and paid informers one by one they were captured. John McCrea, of Ballynure, received £5 for the capture of the brave Randal Dhu Agnew in 1717. Randal was taken to the Gallows Green at Carrickfergus and hanged, as was the noble Shane O’Haughan who had been ‘sold ’ for £10 by his brother-in-law ‘White James’ McKinstr

The rest of Naoise’s men had to keep their heads down, Toal, Magennis and Rory Murphy left the country to escape capture but Naoise alone carried on and there are any stories of his brave escapes from capture by the redcoats, one goes...

‘a troop of o mounted Recoats were sent out from Carrickfergus Castle to capture Naoise, They eventually espied him near his hiding place at Knockagh Mountain and made chase. His own chance to escape now lay in his speed of foot,So he gave his pursuers a smart race across the moors at Straid and reached Ballyboley Hill. There by coincidence he came across his brother Denis, also on the run. Seeing his brother was exhausted Denis sized the situation up quickly, He whistled to Naoise who fell flat into thick bracken and heather. Denis then waited for a few moments on the horsemen who came over the hill and made off as if he was the original fugitive. A fresh O’Haughan was more than equal to the tired horsemen and thus both escaped capture by the Redcoats‘.

On another occasion near Ballyeaston, again being pursued by the Redcoats, Naoise came round a sharp corner, out of sight of his tormentors, and seen a gang of farm workers carrying bags of grain. He picked up a bag and walked with the workers, the Redcoats came on and rode straight by. They never realised that one of the workers was the fugitive they were chasing and so Naoise escaped again.

Soon after this Naoise moved to the Divis Mountain range, and stopped around Ballyutoag where he took regular shelter. He continued to roam and raid around Ballymagarry, Ballymurphy, Ballyhill, Hightown Hill and Craigarogan. No doubt he would have been offered shelter among the good folk at Springhill Clachan, at the head of the Mountain Loney. A Clachan, by the way, was a nestling of a few houses built closely together. The present day Springhill housing estate was named from this old community.

Before long Naoise O’Haughan brushes and close escapes were becoming more regular as the Redcoats closed in on him. Nessy often hid out at the caves below the Hatchet Field on the Black Mountain. His last recorded chase occurred one day along the Belfast Hills with the enemy close behind him. They thought they had him cornered when he came on the banks of the River Lagan at a spot to wide to jump and too rough to swim, but Naoise took one wild leap and managed to clear the river landing safely on the other bank, leaving his pursuers stranded behind him.

Nothing more was heard of Naoise, it was as if he had vanished of the face of the earth. Then one day, on a military Barracks Square, where some soldiers were betting on who could jump clear over two horses, the bet was won by an English soldier. The wage was increased and a challenge went out to any one present to attempt to jump over three horses. No one came forward, there were mutterings that it would be an impossible task. Suddenly another soldier, an Irishman, stepped forward and said he could jump over three horses. To everyone’s amazement he took a running jump and cleared the horses easily and to much applause he collected his bets. But not everyone was applauding, an officer stepped forward and pointing at the victor he said, “Arrest that man, I have only ever seen one man capable of such a jump, and he was an Irishman too, that man has to be Naoise O’Haughan ”. The officer had been the officer in charge of the Recoats in the pursuit of Naosie when he escaped by making his daring jump over the River Lagan. And so our bold rebel lad was finally captured and brought to Carrickfergus Castle where he was sentenced to die. Naoise was hanged at the infamous Gallows Green, his head cut off and placed on a spike near that of his brother’s Shane Og, who had been hanged two years earlier in 1718. Folklore has it that a wren built a nest in the skull of Shane, it also claims that Naoise and his party had secretly buried their loot, gold and jewellery, along the Belfast Hills and it has never been uncovered.

1697 Catholic Priests outlawed in Belfast.

1699 Shaw’s Bridge built over Lagan.

1700 There are ten slated house roofs in Belfast.

1704 Popish Clergy Act passed. Presbyterians are included alongside Catholics to be discriminated under the "Penal Laws".

1707 Fr. Phelomy O’Hamill described as “the Popish Priest of Belfast and Derryaghy and Drum”, arrested under An Drocht Shaol (The Penal Laws) , having been conned by George Macartney, Town Sovereign, to come in and discuss the new laws. he was immediately lodged in the Old Belfast prison. Fr. O'Hamill died there in that prison, despite protestations, many from protestant citizens, for his release, he was later buried at Lambeg Cemetery with his relations.

1708, George Macartney, Sovereign of Belfast, wrote, “We have not amongst us within the town above seven Papists, and by the return made by the High Constable there is not above 150 Papists in the whole Barony“. Belfast Castle, home of Chichester destroyed by fire. Second Presbyterian Church built in Belfast.

1709 worse floods in history swept away Shaw’s Bridge at River Lagan.1710. Seven women are arrested at Islandmagee and charged with withcraft and having cast a spell of tormentation on a local woman called Mrs Mary Dunbar. The case came to trial at Carrickfergus Assizes on March 31st 1711 before Judges Upton and McCartney. When 'sworn in' and questioned on the event, 12th March 1710, Mary Dunbar made the following statement..."During these several weeks she had been in a most grevious and violent manner tormented and afflicted with Witches ; that several whom she never had known, or to her knowledge seen before, did frequently appear to her (tho' invisible to her keepers and attenders) who make her fall very often into fainting and tormenting fits, take the power of tongue from her, and afflicts her to that degree that she often thinks that she is pierced to the heart, and that her breasts are cut off , that she heard the Said women,(When about her) name one and other, and that one called one Jannet Liston, another Eliz Cellor, another kate McCammont, another Jannet Carson, another Jannet Mean, another Latimore, and another Mrs Anne, and the Said women being brought to her. At their first appearance, she knew them to be four of her Tormentors, and that after they were taken into custody the aforesaid Latimore and Mean did very much Torment her, especially when Mr. Sinclaire, the dissenting Minister, was praying with and for her, and told her they would hinder her of hearing his prayers; but if she would do as they would have, she soon would be well. And that Jannet latimore and jannet Mean being brought to her, she likewise knew them to be another two of her Tormentors, and that since the confinement of the said Jannet Liston, Eliz Cellar, Kate McCammont, Jannet Carson, Jannet Mean and Jannet Latimore, none of them have troubled her, neither has she been so much Tormented as when they were at liberty, and another woman, blind of an eye, who told her when Mr Robb, the curate, was going to pray with and for her, that she should be little the better for his prayers, for they would hinder her from hearing them, which they accordingly did." Dr.W. Tisdall, Vicar Of Belfast, was present at the trial and later recorded, "these extraordinary facts, proved upon oath in the course of the evidence, were all preternatural; not to be performed by the common course of second causes, not soluble by any human reason"

1720 it was recorded that every house in Bridge Street is thatched.

1729 An Act Of Parliament appoints a Corporation for the conservancy of Belfast Harbour. Much dredging and improvement work done.1732. Belfast peopled by 4,532 Protestant and 340 Catholic families.

1737 Belfast Newsletter , the oldest English print newspaper in the world is founded. Military Barracks built in Mill Street.

1745. The Mass House is forced to close at Castle Street, (was just opposite Fountain Lane) following a denouncement from government declaring the house, “ An assembly place for Papists”. perhaps here is an opportunity to look at the old District of Smithfield which could possibly be called the original “Falls” since it was around that old market that the first Catholic community of the town of Belfast grew.

1750. Thousands of young Belfast people are led to a mass tomb by a mysterious Piper on the Cave Hill. The Pied Piper Of Belfast is wriiten of long before The Pied Piper of Hamelin...A poem by John Fitzpatrick.M.D. (Sea Piece) is published(1750) which tells....

The Legend of the Cave Hill. Belfast.

"Here as tradition's hoary legend tells,

A blinking piper once stood, with magic spells,

And strains beyond a vulgar bagpipes sound,

Gathered the dancing country wide around ;

When hither as he drew the tripping rear

(Dreadful to think, and difficult to swear!)

The gaping mountain yawned from side to side

A hideous cavern, darksome, deep and wide ;

In skipped th' exulting demon piping loud,

With passive joy succeeded by the crowd,

The winding cavern, trembling as he played,

With dreadful echoes rang throughout its shade ;

Then firm, and instant, closed its greedy womb.

Where wide born thousands met a common tomb.

Even now the good inhabitant relates,

With serious horror, their disastrous fates ;

And, as the noted spot be ventures near,

His fancy, strung with tales, and shook by fear,

Sounds magic concerts in his tingling ear ;

With superstitious awe, and solemn face,

Trembling he points, and thinks he points the place."

Chapter Two. "Myths, Legends And Facts On Old Belfast"

Chapter 2

The Old Smithfield District

In this chapter you will see the rapid development of Belfast into a growing town with ever increasing industries and manufacturing springing up.

Smithfield, ancient site of Lamas fair, for centuries a market centre, mostly famous in its earliest days as the pork market and also for its weekly horse fair. There was a very interesting Public House in Smithfield at one time , above which hung the sign…

“Ye Gentlemen and Archers good, Come in and drink with Robin Hood

If Robin Hood be dead and gone, Come in and drink with Little John“

The pub which was on the east side of the Smithfield Square, (Central Cinema side) The pub was owned by a named John, this 'little John' was about 6foot inches and builkt like a brick wall, needless to say his customers were well behaved no matter how 'merry' they got.

Smithfield was also the site for my favourite Ghost story, I say favourite because never will you hear of anyone who had seen the ghost of Biddy Farrelly speak of being frightened, indeed her ghostly appearance brought smiles to the faces of those who seen her. It is said that sometime before her death Biddy was left £250 in the will of a friend who died in Dublin. This friend was the High Sheriff of that City, and how you may ask did a wee ‘bag lady’ get to befriend such an important man?. Well it was like this, Luke White was reared in Bell’s Lane, Smithfield and later, about 1850, ran a book stall at nearby Croakens Lane., which ran from Hercules Street (Royal Avenue) to Smithfield and it was during this time he befriended the sweet wee pauper Biddy Farrelly. Biddy would have bought sheet music or printed songs from White’s bookstall and sold them around the streets. However soon after wards he moved to Dublin and set up there as an auction business and flourished, moved up in the world and joined the high circles of Dublin society where he met and married the daughter of a wealthy businessman. Later he died and left behind him a huge fortune of £2,000,000 and as I have said he left Biddy £150 , a lot of money in those days.. well…our Biddy loved a wee drink , and now you know how her ghost always had a permanent smile on its face.. Biddy drank herself to death.

There are many ghost stories linked to Smithfield and some are not without foundation. A tragic incident in Smithfield was also the source of a ‘time slip’ ghost story. On the site where once stood the old U.T.A Bus Depot, corner of Winetavern Street and Smithfield once stood the spinning mill of J & J Herdman, it was here on the 20th January 1902 that several of the floors of the old building collapsed under the weight of the heavy machinery killing many workers some of whom were merely fourteen years of age, in the floors below. People. Including the priests from nearby St. Mary’s rushed to help rescue those trapped. It was said the deafening screams could be heard in Carrick Hill and it was those deafening screams that people, up to forty years later, reported hearing many times. Some spoke of an almost re-enactment of the tragic affair ( time slip phenomenon) of the terrible wails lasting up to an hour. Whiter this was the reason why for thirty years Belfast Corporation avoided touching the derelict site I can only guess. It lay in that state until the early 1930’s before it was agreed to build the new Ulster Transport Authority Bus depot on the site . The site in the earliest days had housed an old prison then in been the Smithfield Flax Mill built on site of former old prison.

Winetavern Street was known as Pipe Lane, Clay Pipe manufacturing took place here, here also Sir James Murray (1788-1871) invented Milk Of Magnesia. This street once housed a unique ‘museum’, a freak show where one see such oddities as a two headed calf or a lamb with five legs. Other streets close to Winetavern Street now long gone were Winetavern Street Place, Duffin’s Court, Laws Entry and of course Samuel Street which survived into the 1980’s.

Winecellar Entry , off High Street, has a long link with the wine business of Belfast, it was here that Valentine Jones had the biggest wine business in the North of Ireland. Jones, a founder member of the Linenhall Library was only sixteen years of age when he married.

Gresham Street in the late 1700’s was known as Hudson’s Entry, a quite make shift thoroughfare named after local land leaser Christopher Hudson, who was in the Tannery business. In the ‘mid 1800’s the run down dwellings of the street were seen as a less desirable place to live and so attracted the less fortunate, or privileged, of residents. For a while the street became known as Smithfield Street before adopting the name Gresham Street. In the late 1800’s.

An interesting old ghost story can be told of the old street that, centred round a fire at the “Lucifer Match Factory” in 1804. Four employees were killed and people spoke of hearing wailing cries in the area long after the incident. This is believed to be the first major industrial accident in the history of Belfast.

1753, The first private Belfast lottery is held to build the Poor House. This also was the year of “The Hatchet Field Murders”, on 13th February at his home near where we today call “The Hatchet Field” on the Black Mountain… *A cattle drover, William Cole, his daughter and a woman visitor to the house were all found brutally murdered, apparently they had been slain with an axe, or hatchet, as we say locally. Who ever carried out the brutal murders never stole any valuables and on their way out set fire to the house. No one was ever brought to task for the murders and locals put it down to a jealousy crime, or scorned love. The newspapers made no reference whatsoever to Cole’s wife, and so it has remained a mystery from that day, so much so that it spawned a local expression, if a thing perplexed some one they’d retort, “It’s as secret as Cole’s Murder”, as for how the Field took on the shape of a Hatchet. that too is a mystery!.

1756 serious riots breaks out in Belfast due to “scarcity and distress“.

1757 First census taken, 1,779 houses, 8,549 inhabitants, 399 linen looms. 7993 Protestants, 556 Catholics. but, It is noticed that “there are colony‘s of Papists just outside the ramparts at Mill Gate (Millfield) and on Shore Road”, (York Street today).

1760 Mass is being celebrated at the Castle Street home of John Kennedy, a cutler and at the sand pit at Friars Bush. French Admiral Thurot sacks Carrickfergus .The wealthy John McNaghten executed, by hanging, for the shooting of Mary Anne Knox of Prehen

1765 The Belfast Library formed

1769 Crawford obtained a lease (31 years) on behalf of Fr. O’Donnell as Mass House for Catholics, this was an old building close to Crooked Lane and Marquis Street.

Library Street ,was originally known as “Casper Curry’s Meadow” and was the site for “Pepper Hill Steps”.

1770.Farset River at High Street is covered over.

1771, “Hearts Of Steel” attack Belfast Military Barracks to gain release of prisoner. Waddell Cunningham‘s House is burned down, the Sovereign shot dead and the prisoner was released.*(*Among the issues here were the demand from government for Presbyterians to pay Tithe Money, ie for the building of Anglican Churches, yet, Presbyterians were prohibited from building churches of their own, their marriages were not recognised by the authorities and thus their children illegitimate.!. plus land lease rents were ridiculously increased.)

1774, Old church in High Street taken down St Anne’s started , Poor House opened.) Ballymacarrat is described as “having only two the mill and Mountpottinger “. The area consisted mostly of grazing land.

1776. Manufacture of Glass introduced to Belfast.

1779 John Howard (Prison Reformist) visits French prisoners at Belfast Military Barracks.

1782 Population of Belfast now 8,000. Brown Linen Hall built.

1783 St, Mary’s Chapel erected in Chapel Lane, cost £1,200 . A new paper the Belfast Mercury appears for the first time. White Linen hall erected. Fr, Hugh O'Donnell, P.P takes up lodgings in Hercules lane.

1784, Long bridge built over Lagan, This year 772 Vessels have used the Port Of Belfast, with 3