NORTHERN IRELAND: BELFAST - C. S. LEWIS SQUARE AND CITY HALL

 July 10, 2024

I was quite excited to go to Belfast, which to me--prior to this trip--had been the center of all the conflict that occurred in Northern Ireland. I remembered the terrible fighting that defined the city during my teen years and well into my 30s. I remember when my mother, a first grade teacher, attended the International Reading Conference in Belfast when I was in my late 20s or early 30s, and how scary that was for me! I was sure she would be blown up!

But from everything we read, Belfast was now a lovely, peaceful city. That turned out to be mostly true, but not completely.

Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland and has a population of about 350,000. As we drove into town, I was struck again by the artistry of the Irish (although here it would be the British).  Murals are everywhere.

This is one of my favorites: My City, My People, My Heart by Dee Crait. I think it honors the laborers, those who keep us fed and housed.

This one is also pretty awesome--the Luminaries and Legends of East Belfast mural, also by Dee Craig, including Van Morrison (musician, top left) and some sports figures, actresses, playwrights, and other musicians.

This mural commemorates 50 years since the formation of The Regimental Band of the Ulster Volunteer Force, and next to it is a World War I Memorial. I especially love the red poppies, which we saw frequently painted into memorials in Belfast.

 

This mural is what I expected to see--men with face masks and machine guns. Also, note the Union Jack flying from the light pole.

There were lots of those Union Jacks all over Belfast. I believe they were making a statement: "You are not in Ireland anymore. You have entered Great Britain."

It is tough to go anywhere these days without seeing one of these.

Our first stop in Belfast was C. S. Lewis Square. Although the author lived most of his life in Oxford, England, he was born in Belfast. His family moved around to different homes in different neighborhoods in the city, and when his mother died when Jack (the name he was known by) was nine, he was sent to boarding school in England for a few months, but returned when the school closed. At age 15 he returned to England to attend another school, and at age 18 he was awarded a scholarship to attend Oxford University, and he spent most of the rest of his life in the area.

Between 1950 and 1956, towards the end of his life (he died in 1963), Lewis published seven fantasy novels for children known collectively as The Chronicles of Narnia. In about 1968 or 1969, I discovered the first book in the series, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in my school library. It immediately became my favorite book, a position it held for many years. To this day I can picture exactly where it sat on the shelf in that library.

Consequently, visiting C. S. Lewis Square was a no-brainer. Located in East Belfast, the Square is home to seven bronze statues from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe created by Irish artist Maurice Harron. It's a relatively new addition to the city, having opened in 2016.

Of course, the great lion Aslan dominates the scene:

Mr. and Mrs. Beaver:

Maugrim, the evil talking wolf:

The delightful faun, Mr. Tumnus:

The wicked White Witch:

The Robin, which leads the children where they need to go:

And the great Stone Table (and the section of the book that always makes me cry):

It doesn't take a long time to walk through this little park, but it took me back in time at least 55 years. It was well worth the stop.

Just outside the park is another bronze statue that I assumed to be the author himself checking out his wardrobe, but which I have since learned is Professor Digory Kirk, a character in the book series. It is in his house in the country that the four children stay to escape the bombing of London during the Blitz, and it is the wardrobe in his house that is the portal to Narnia.

The original cover of the first book in the series was on one of the signs in this square.

The nearby library features Aslan looking out the window.

We had planned to eat lunch at the Lamppost Café, a small establishment just a block or two away and which has quotes from and references to the Narnia books scattered throughout, but unfortunately it was closed.

Well, we would have to find another place to eat. We looked at Yelp and found a place not too far away in the downtown area. After parking our car (it is almost impossible to find a spot in Belfast), we walked about a mile to the restaurant, first passing through the Belfast City Hall.

This is what we saw when we entered through the back door. Opened in 1906, the Baroque Revival structure is pretty impressive.

We passed by this mournful marble monument to Richard Chichester, Earl of Belfast, who died of consumption and scarlet fever in Naples at the age of 26. Here is being lamented by his mother. 

We made it through the building and to the front . . . 

. . . and then to a restaurant, which was not the one that we had planned on but one where we could actually get a seat. With the rainy weather, everyone was taking a long sit-down lunch. I don't think we were very impressed by what we ordered--some kind of stew topped by a toasted roll, peas, and . . . is that mashed potatoes? Not sure.