Tag Archives: Snow Patrol

Belfast City Guide

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If you have never been to Belfast before and are planning to go then you will be in for a treat…


Belfast Facts

A thriving city which always has something going on: Belfast is the largest city in Northern Ireland.

Belfast may be a small city but it is big on excitement.

There is a population of only 286,000 in the city of Belfast but what it lacks in size and population it more than makes up for in history, events and fun things to do.

First Thoughts on Belfast

Your first impressions of the city is just how beautiful it is. The accent of the resident will also leave an impression. The Irish accent is know to be beautiful and lyrical, as is the friendliness of the Irish people.

Then there will be so much stuff to do that you won’t know where to start.

If you are a Game of Thrones fan then you are certainly in for a treat as the hit fantasy TV show is filmed in Belfast and the rest of Ireland.

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You can take a tour of Titanic Studios in Belfast where it is filmed. You can also take a Game of Thrones location tour and get a picture of yourself sitting on the throne.

For something else that will also inspire a high amount of awe you might want to go for some real-life history and see the Titanic Belfast. Titanic Belfast is the largest Titanic visitor experience in the world. It is situated right beside the real historical site where the world’s most famous doomed ship was constructed. The 6-floor building will also have all of the information you could ever need to know about the Titanic, from her construction to the very tragic end.

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Because there is so much to do in Belfast and you will be surprised at just how amazing the city is, the best thing to do is to sort out your accommodation first. Find a good hotel from Hotel Direct before you leave so you can just relax and enjoy the rest of your visit. After you have dropped your stuff off the first thing you should do is grab a guinness. A trip to Ireland is not fully complete until you have tried this famous beverage.

Whats happening in Belfast?

There are also a number of festivals that happen in Belfast throughout the year.

Check ahead before you leave and you won’t miss out.

Festivals range from Red Bull Music Weekend, Sound of Belfast and the Belfast Restaurant Week.

You can take your pick depending on when you visit but there is usually at least a few great festivals or events running in the city. Catch some live music and you might hear the next big thing. A lot of famous artist have come our of Northern Ireland like Snow Patrol, Ash, Van Morrison, Therapy?, The Divine Comedy and The Undertones.

What about food?

You will also have a good choice when it comes to eating out.

There is a substantial amount of good restaurants in Belfast. Try and have a traditional dish like Irish Stew, Colcannon (a traditional Irish dish which generally consists of mashed potatoes with kale or cabbage) or soda bread.

Family fun

Belfast Zoo Credit: flikr

There is also plenty of things to do for families. The Belfast Zoo is a good place to start and the W5 interactive science museum will have hours of educational fun to entertain you and your children. For the more sporty and energetic there is the T13 Urban Sports Academy.

Here there is a good range of exciting and sporty things to do: BMX, skateboarding, kick scooter, break dancing, urban art and DJing. Rather handy, the T13 Urban Sports Academy is opposite the Titanic Belfast. So you can catch both star attractions on the same day if you have time.

All in all, Belfast is a wonderful place to visit, not only will it make a good first impression on you, but it will also leave a good lasting one, with wonderful memories and an urge to go back again and again. What are you waiting for?

 

 

‘Do Good, Get Good’.

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Coldplay and Noel Gallagher have already signed up to the new currency at www.bluedotworld.com, which gives fans access to live shows and exclusive material by artists, authors and movie stars in return for donations, volunteer work and media sharing.

Blue Dot is the new social currency given to people who do good things for their favourite charities by sharing on social media websites, volunteering and donating to any one of the 100k non-profit organisations globally. The idea also influences young people to get involved with charities, as a recent survey conducted by SAGA showed that people over the age of 75 are the most likely generation to give to charity… yet Blue Dot is hoping to overturn these figures by rewarding youngsters with amazing prizes for ‘doing good’.

Within moments of the site going live, Noel Gallagher offered last chance tickets to his debut UK dates exclusively to Blue Dot citizens. Within 48hrs, thousands of positive actions had been taken for causes, including cash donations to over 70 UK different charities. Coldplay also used Blue Dot in the UK and US, to offer the chance to see them live exclusively to fans of Blue Dot.

Blue Dot is rapidly claiming recognition and credibility… founder of Blue Dot, Chris Ward, filmed exclusive backstage footage for Blue Dot with artists at BBC’s Children in Need, including with Ed Sheeran, Rizzle Kicks, Coldplay, JLS, One Direction, Snow Patrol, The Saturdays, Elbow and James Morrison.

One Direction have commented: “We’re thrilled to be part of Blue Dot; It’s a brilliant concept and a great cause. We really hope that our exclusive dressing room acoustic performance of ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ encourages people to donate.”

Nichole Scherzinger, Professor Green, Katherine Jenkins, Rebecca Ferguson, Anton Du Beke and Joe McElderry are amongst others that have donated singed albums and tour tickets.

Blue Dot Founder, Chris Ward said: “I was previously Creative Director of the UK’s Comic Relief, where we work first hand with major stars and brands to create attention-grabbing moments that engage millions of people in volunteering and charitable giving.

I created Blue Dot, as a genuinely new & innovative way to enable every single Cause to create that same impact, every single day of the year.”