A Day in Belfast: Exploring a City Still Shaped by the Troubles
- That's How We Travel
- May 3
- 4 min read
Summary. On our final day in Ireland, we drove from Kilkenny north to Belfast before returning to Dublin for our evening flight to London. This long but rewarding detour was inspired by our older son, who had visited Belfast a few months earlier and strongly recommended the Black Cab “Troubles” tour, describing it as one of the most impactful experiences of his trip. If you're going to use our itinerary, we would suggest modifying it to drive first to Belfast, then travel west to Galway. Either way, make time for a day trip to Belfast. Although the Troubles officially ended with the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, their legacy still shapes daily life in Belfast. Physical barriers continue to separate Protestant and Catholic neighborhoods, with gates that close each evening. While the city has made significant progress, tensions between communities persist, and sporadic incidents of violence still occur today.
[This blog is part of our 15-days in the British Isle trip].
About Belfast. Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, is a city shaped by industry, conflict, and renewal. Situated at the mouth of the River Lagan, it rose to prominence in the 19th and early 20th centuries as a major center of shipbuilding, linen production, and engineering, the most famous product of its shipyards being the RMS Titanic. Today, remnants of this industrial heritage sit alongside modern waterfront developments, museums, and cultural venues. Note: we did not visit the Titanic museum since we heard was just okay and we had limited time.
The Troubles. The city is characterized by its intricate political and social history. For many years, Belfast was central to the Troubles, a violent conflict stemming from conflicting national, religious, and political identities. While the 1998 Good Friday Agreement largely brought an end to large-scale violence, the legacy of this era is still evident in the city’s neighborhoods, murals, and peace walls that continue to separate some Protestant and Catholic communities. Today, political violence in Belfast is limited, sporadic, and significantly reduced compared to the Troubles, yet it has not entirely disappeared. Small dissident republican groups that oppose the 1998 Good Friday Agreement still occasionally carry out attacks or threats, mainly targeting the Police Service of Northern Ireland, while loyalist paramilitary groups remain active at a low level, often mixing political identity with criminal activities rather than engaging in a sustained ideological campaign. Violence now tends to be localized, including sporadic shootings, punishment attacks, paramilitary feuds, and occasional street disorder linked to political tensions, parades, or Brexit-related disputes. Although these incidents highlight that divisions rooted in Northern Ireland’s past have not been fully resolved, they garner little public support and are widely condemned, and Belfast today is predominantly peaceful compared to the decades of conflict that preceded the peace process.
Drive from Kilkenny and Black Cab Tour. We left early from our hotel in Kilkenny, Ireland to make the three hour drive to Belfast, Northern Ireland. In Belfast we parked our car and met up with our Black Cab tour guide, taking a literal Black Cab vehicle for a tour of the areas of the City still impacted by the ongoing conflict. There are several operators of these tours, many of which, like ours have deep roots in the community.
The very first stop on the Black Cab tour is a visit to see the dividing walls that separate the Protestant and Catholic neighborhoods. On one way, a "peace wall," visitors can write their names on it.
Opportunities to forget the past here are scarce, and there is little desire to do so.
Lunch at Sawyers, Belfast. After the tour we had lunch at Sawyers, a gourmet deli in central Belfast that we definitely recommend.
City Hall. Next we decided to see a little of central Belfast and toured City Hall. There was a festival of sorts happening that day so we did not stay too long because of the crowds of people coming and going.
Drive to Dublin. Next we headed back to Dublin for our flights, stopping first to explore Bective Abbey.
Bective Abbey. Bective Abbey is a medieval monastic site situated along the River Boyne in County Meath, Ireland. Established in 1147 for the Cistercian order, the abbey was part of a Europe-wide reform movement that focused on simplicity, self-sufficiency, and agricultural labor. Like many Irish monasteries, Bective Abbey was dissolved during the 16th-century Tudor suppressions of religious houses, leading to its decline into ruin. Today, its remains, surrounded by rolling farmland, provide a glimpse into Ireland’s monastic past and have turned the site into a popular destination for those interested in medieval history and architecture. Visitors can explore the stone walls and experience a sense of monastic life.
Flight to London. We made it back to Dublin in time for our evening flight to London, for our next leg of our trip. In London, we stayed at the Marlin Waterloo. Each room has a mini kitchen and is close to public transportation, and walking distance to the many attractions. There is a grocery store right outside the hotel as well. If you Crossfit like this writer, there's a Crossfit box right around the corner too. Overall, it's a good value considering how expensive most places are in London.
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