Arts, Culture & Heritage

Northern Ireland’s imagination and inventiveness has had a profound effect on the world. Its pioneering painters, poets, musicians, actors, inventors and engineers are famous the world over. Whether it’s the inspiring soul of Van Morrison, the genius of Seamus Heaney or the earthiness of Stephen Rea, chances are your first encounter with someone from this part of the world was through the silver screen, the radio or the pages of a book. 

One giant slice of heritage: Titanic 

The glistening Titanic Belfast dominates this developing area of Belfast’s old ship-building heritage and was voted the World’s Leading Visitor Attraction in 2016. Inside that glistening shell is a 5-star visitor experience with an interactive exhibition that brings to life the story of the people that built the world’s most famous ship and its fate. This world-class exhibition is immersive, informative and is an experience not to be missed. 

Like a time-machine – the Ulster Folk Museum 

There is quite a bit to see and a lot to take in at Titanic Belfast, so you might want to ingest something a little more genteel for your cultural dessert. A trip up the road to the Ulster Folk Museum at Cultra on the Belfast fringes is just the ticket. For kids it’s a lovely hands-on experience that mixes countryside and bustling town life filled with authentic, period buildings inhabited by people in period dress. You can try your hand at basket weaving or see a blacksmith hammer horses shoes. You’ll take a wee ride on an old bus into the countryside and, if you’re keen to see more old buses and trains, you can go on to visit the Ulster Transport Museum which is located on the same site. 

Art in the heart of Belfast 

Art lovers will want to make a beeline for the Ulster Museum where there is an impressive collection of art from Ireland and across the globe. For those who are looking for something a little more modern in their art, keep track of the goings on in The MAC Belfast. Since opening in 2012 in the revamped and funky Cathedral Quarter, this modern space has welcomed millions of visitors though its doors. Recent exhibitions from the likes of David Hockney and the always-intriguing Gilbert and George are enhancing its reputation as a space for something new. 

If it’s a performance you’re after… 

Fans of musical theatre, ballet and opera would do well to keep an eye on what’s happening at the Grand Opera House in the city centre. In the past this has played host to Laurel and Hardy, Vera Lynn and a certain Luciano Pavarotti who made his UK debut here in 1963. 

The ostentatious Victorian interior, designed by renowned theatrical architect Frank Matcham, is quite breath-taking as are the performances you’ll see on a nightly basis when it reopens following an extensive refurbishment. 

Fans of theatre will find their fare at the famous Lyric Theatre which has in the past employed some of Northern Ireland’s finest actors, including Liam Neeson, Adrian Dunbar, Ciaran Hinds and Frances Tomelty. The Brian Friel Theatre, part of Queen’s University, is full of up and coming talent and also worth watching. You might well spot the next Liam Neeson. 

Oh yeah, there’s music here too, lots of it 

Belfast’s music history is long and glorious. The Belfast Music Exhibition in the city’s Oh Yeah Music Centre will tell you much of its story. It covers everything from the first live performance of Stairway to Heaven, to the recording of Teenage Kicks and of course gives the lowdown on Van Morrison. If you want to find out more about Van the Man’s life in Belfast then we highly recommend the Van Morrison Trail. This three kilometre tour takes you past his schools and the childhood neighbourhoods that inspired much of his music. 

A traditional music ballyhoo in Ballymena 

Inspirational music is exactly what you’ll get if you head out of Belfast towards Ballymena and find the famous thatched Crosskeys Inn. Every Saturday local musicians gather for what’s commonly known across the island of Ireland as a session. Sit in, grab a pint and enjoy the music in this tiny little corner of heaven.  

Heaney’s homeplace 

After a night out in the Crosskeys, you might welcome the soothing tones of Seamus Heaney. The Seamus Heaney Homeplace in nearby Bellaghy, County Londonderry, celebrates the village's most famous son and, yes, you can hear the voice of the poet himself reading his own words. There are two floors peppered with Heaney’s books and personal belongings as well as a recreation of the poet’s attic study in Dublin. The story of the great man is told through dozens of family photographs, video recordings from friends, neighbours and cultural leaders who he touched along his journey. 

Winner of Most Innovative Business (Large) at the Giant Spirit Awards 2022.

Apprentice Boys and Derry Girls 

Heaney was a regular visitor to Derry-Londonderry. No doubt he would have been impressed by the linguistic dexterity shown by the characters in Derry Girls. The guides on the impressive Derry Girls Tour are equally talented, great craic and they’ll be able to give you the inside track on what’s happening in the city. 

Of course that is just one part of the city’s story. 

For more on the Story of Derry you should really visit the impressive Tower Museum inside the walls. The Siege Museum and Exhibition will tell the tale of the Siege of Londonderry and the Museum of Free Derry will give you insights into the civil rights movement in the 1960's and 1970's. One of the most popular visits in Derry-Londonderry is the People’s Gallery, a set of twelve large murals that takes you through some of the most historic neighbourhoods in the city. 

Hands on with the story of Ulster 

Further south near Omagh in County Tyrone at the Ulster American Folk Park, you can hop on board a full-scale emigrant ship and experience the cramped quarters that maybe your brave ancestors lived in during their twelve-week journey across the Atlantic to the new world. 

Not far away in Dungannon, you can find out more about another famous tale of Irish emigration with a fascinating guide tour at the Hill of The O’Neill. Both are extremely important heritage sites in Northern Ireland and go a long way to explaining how somewhere so small could have such a huge influence across the globe. 

Arts, crafts and letters in Belleek and Armagh 

At the Belleek Pottery Visitor Centre in County Fermanagh, you can witness the creators of a world-famous brand at work. Since 1857, the potters of this great Northern Irish institution have turned out their famous Parian porcelain for the likes of the Prince of Wales and Queen Victoria. 

Perhaps one of the stranger products to come from the factory now rests in the Armagh County Museum. Tucked away in a corner of Ireland’s oldest county museum you’ll discover a piece of Belleek Pottery produced for the ‘Armagh District Lunatic Asylum’. That is just one of the curious items you’ll come across at this delightful little museum. Other items include a delectable looking knob of bog butter from a couple of thousand years back and something that looks like a golden hand-grenade but is in fact an ancient ‘crotal’ or percussion instrument. 

Finally, for lovers of old texts, a visit to the old Armagh Robinson Library is a must. This is the oldest public library on the island of Ireland and boasts a first edition of Gulliver's Travels corrected in Jonathan Swift's own handwriting.  

What better way to finish your journey through Northern Ireland’s arts, culture and heritage than seeing the hand of the Dean. Perhaps he can inspire you to write a travel novel of your very own!