Designed by Alfred Brumwell Thomas,
the home of Belfast City Council, built in Portland stone,
Belfast City Hall was completed in 1906. A magnificent
Edwardian "wedding cake" built to reflect Belfast City's
status, granted by Queen Victoria in 1888. The dome is 53m
(173 feet) high. Figures above the door are "Hibernia
encouraging and promoting the Commerce and Arts of the
City".
The
City Hall's connections with the Titanic are many. In fact
the Lord Mayor when City Hall was opened, Sir Daniel Dixon,
credited William Pirrie, the man who created Titanic, as
having ‘the big ideas’ for City Hall. Pirrie, Lord Mayor in
1896/7, is said to have referred to it as ‘the stone
Titanic’. In its grounds, the Titanic Memorial, sculpted by
Thomas Brock, pays tribute to 22 men who lost their lives on
the ship. Another statue by Brock depicts Sir Edward
Harland, ship’s plan in hand, who was Lord Mayor in 1885/6.
Thanks to Pirrie’s influence, the Lord Mayor’s Suite is also
known as ‘the Titanic Rooms’ as craftsmen who worked on them
went on to work on the famous liner. Portraits of Lord and
Lady Pirrie hang in the Reception Room. On May 31st, 2006,
on the 150th anniversary of his birth (and the 95th
anniversary of Titanic’s launch), a special plinth was
erected to William Pirrie in the grounds of City Hall.
Described as ‘the greatest shipbuilder the world has ever
known’,
Public and private tours are available. Leaflets about the
building and gardens are available at the City Hall.
Loop System in main rooms. Trained
staff in sign language (BSL).
*Due to renovation work in
Belfast City Hall, there will be no public tours until 2009.
The grounds remain open.