South Belfast: Images of Ireland

This fascinating collection of over 200 old photographs sets out how to show something of the variety of life in South Belfast and how the area has developed since the middle of the nineteenth century. South Belfast is notable for the establishments, of which Queen's University is the most important, which have made it a place where the education and culture are highly valued.

South Belfast was at the end of a natural route along which people from the heart of Ulster passed in search of work in the city. Their homes were very different from the middle class housing on Malone Road. But everyone, rich and poor, could enjoy the amenities which nature had to ffer in the public parks in which the area is particularly rich; the Lagan Valley was on their doorstep. The area's many sports teams form one chapter, and another is devoted to churches and religious life. Work, transport and wartime Belfast are also featured.

Recent decades have brought many chages: the nineteenth-century terraces are now more likely to house businesses than families; old landmarks have disappeared. Constant change ensures that all residents of South Belfast will find this wonderful compilation both informative and nostalgic.