The Old Court House, Belfast

Staying in Belfast for the past few days has been a real eye-opener. After seeing Belfast in such a poor light because the Troubles for so many years, it was the very last place I ever imaged going for a city break. But, friends recommended it, and I did want to see the Causeway, so we took the plunge. It really is a lovely city, on the up, if the peace continues to hold.
There was lots of construction going on, so I imagine in 5 or 10 years time, it will rival any other major city as a base for a city break. Even now, there are so many beautiful buildings to see, like Belfast City Hall (a FREE! guided tour 3 x daily) designed by the same architect as St Paul's Cathedral in London. They haven't hidden their troubled past - our open topped bus took us down the Shankhill and Falls Roads - along the security 'peace' walls and their murals, and past the Crumlin Road Gaol.
The countryside is beautiful, and the Giants Causeway was breathtaking.
The Courthouse building in it's dilapidated state serves as a reminder of how far Belfast has come in just a few years - and how much further there is still to move forward. I hope that the momentum continues and that one day this building will be loved for it's architecture, and not neglected for what it represented.
Belfast is well worth a visit!