Belfast Castle, set in the grounds of the beautiful Cave Hill Country Park, is one of the city’s top visitor attractions. Every year over 100,000 people visit to view its beautiful architecture, landscaped gardens and to enjoy fine dining and entertainment events.
The nineteenth-century castle was commissioned by the Donegall family, whose name adorns many of the main streets in Belfast, and building was completed in 1870. The castle’s architecture reflects the popular Scottish baronial style of the time with its towers, turrets, exterior stairway and vaulted roofs, and the Donegall coat-of-arms appears over the front door.
When the third Marquis of Donegall died in 1884, the castle and its estate passed to Lord Ashley, the seventh Earl of Shaftesbury. Then in 1934, 90 years ago, the family gifted the castle and their 700-acre estate to the city and people of Belfast.
To mark the anniversary, a programme of special events will take place over the summer and autumn months.
On 2 June the Big 90th Lunch invites people to pack a picnic and enjoy the family-friendly entertainment in the castle grounds. The castle gardens are famous for the Cat Garden, where nine feline depictions in paving, sculpture and garden furniture reflect the belief that a visit to the castle will bring luck as long as a white cat lives there.
Another key date is 23 June when the Ceili at the Castle will see the ballroom come alive with set dancing. In July, there will be a fascinating talk about the mystery surrounding a WW2 bomber that crashed into Cave Hill and, on a lighter note, The Cannon Run arrives at the castle on its way to the north coast, showcasing 80 fabulous supercars.