Is Belfast safe?

Nadnerb111

Hey

Ive just been offered a place in Queens Univeristy. Im a 35 year old guy from Dublin. Ive never been to Belfast and know very little about your city. As an Southerner would I be safe? Are there areas I should aviod? Is the city centre safe at night?

I would be very grateful for any info or comments.

Nadnerb

Micilin Muc

Nadnerb111 wrote: »

Hey

Ive just been offered a place in Queens Univeristy. Im a 35 year old guy from Dublin. Ive never been to Belfast and know very little about your city. As an Southerner would I be safe? Are there areas I should aviod? Is the city centre safe at night?

I would be very grateful for any info or comments.

Nadnerb

As long as you don't walk into Sandy Row by mistake (which is very easy to do as it's in the city centre) with an Ireland or Celtic jersey, you should be ok. The university area is grand.

Good luck with your move, Brendan!

Soil Mechanic

Hello Nadnerb111

First off, congratulations on your offer of a place for study, is it already confirmed, or dependant on future marks?

(Q. Is it deped A nt or deped E nt, useless speller......... :rolleyes: )

Secondly, the best way to answer this is for YOU to VISIT the place!

Belfast is the same as any other large Urban area in the world -it is individual behaviour, combined with local awareness, that determines how "safe" you feel.
i.e. if you insist on repeatedly frequenting some drug-den after dark you would probably not feel safe.

Depending on how "street smart" (your level of Situational Awareness) you are, together with about a week of taking the various tour buses/chatting to locals/learning the road network, I would be quite confident that your years in Belfast would be spent incident-free.

Irish people have, do & will travel and live all over the world with varying degress of outcome.
Some of these places are inherently violent, dangerous locations, which -despite the unrealistic, deluded self-image of many inhabitants of Belfast as a tough place to live- literally create daily 'life or death' survival situations for the locals that would be totally unfathomable to anyone from Belfast, yet Irish people travel and live in those places without incident.

Be realistic & BE SMART.
Life is what you make of it, and Belfast is a great place to spend part of yours.

Good Luck!

pow wow

Nothing to worry about, I always felt safe walking around Belfast when I lived there, and still do when I visit with work.

Queen's is a great uni in a great area and has a lot of students from ROI, once you're are as 'careful' (not sure if that's the right word but you know what I mean!) as you would be in any other big city you'll be fine. Likewise if you go looking for trouble you'll find it.

The city centre is safe enough at night, there's occasional bother that's more drink related than anything else.

All in all it's my favourite city I've lived in so far and I would go back there tomorrow (with my Cork accent!) in a heartbeat. Congratulations on the college place!

Nadnerb111

Hey

Thanks all for the feedback. Much appreciated!

Nad

Nadnerb111

Hey Soil

Just realised I didnt answer your question. Yea its confirmed, Ive a Phd research place. Should be interesting, thanks for your interest.

Nad

el tel

When it comes to living in Belfast my advice would be to avoid places with have flags, bunting, painted kerbs, or murals. In the city particularly avoid Donegall Road and the Village areas.

Riverfarset

Lived around Queens for four years as a student and never heard of a southerner getting any hassle. Also judging by the number of southern reg cars parked around south belfast I would say that its safe.

Plus if you grew up in Dublin Im sure you can handle Belfast?:)

Fiann

Riverfarset wrote: »

Lived around Queens for four years as a student and never heard of a southerner getting any hassle. Also judging by the number of southern reg cars parked around south belfast I would say that its safe.

Plus if you grew up in Dublin Im sure you can handle Belfast?:)

Belfast is far and away safer than Atlanta, Ga

Bottle_of_Smoke

I'm a dubliner always feel safe there but to be honest if walking alone at night and someone asked me for a light/time I'd prob put on an ulster accent unless they were obvious catholics/nationalists.

Stay in south belfast or a nationalist area: West Belfast/New lodge in North Belfast.

As for bars once you're not in sandy row/shankill bars everyone's generally sound and sectarianism is frowned upon.

Paul4As

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »

I'm a dubliner always feel safe there but to be honest if walking alone at night and someone asked me for a light/time I'd prob put on an ulster accent unless they were obvious catholics/nationalists.

Stay in south belfast or a nationalist area: West Belfast/New lodge in North Belfast.

As for bars once you're not in sandy row/shankill bars everyone's generally sound and sectarianism is frowned upon.

This is obviously a wind-up / joke post...isn't it???

You put on an Ulster accent at times if you think the person you are talking to isn't a catholic/nationalist??? How do you spot a catholic or nationalist...is it the gap between the eyes???

"Stay only in a nationalist area"...ever heard of the word integration???

As for saying only people in Sandy Row and the the Shankill Bars are sectarian in Northern Ireland...is that another piss-take???

You are from Dublin Bottle of Smoke...thank God most sane and civilised people in Northern Ireland don't have an attitude like yours regarding safety and how our southern friends are treated by non-catholics or non-nationalists!!!

Why you have even mentioned the word "nationalist" is baffling!!! That is a word usually branded about in politics!!

Listen to other posts in this thread nadnerb111 other than the one above this one!

Bottle_of_Smoke

We've posted on the same threads before and you generally come across as a great guy but I've noticed you are quite sensitive about this issue so I'll explain exactly what I meant.

Paul4As wrote: »

This is obviously a wind-up / joke post...isn't it???

You put on an Ulster accent at times if you think the person you are talking to isn't a catholic/nationalist??? How do you spot a catholic or nationalist...is it the gap between the eyes???

I said that in the context of "if I'm on my own at night" That's when you're most likely to run into guys looking for a reason for a fight. As for spotting I said an "obvious nationalist" - this would imply something like a ROI football jersey/celtic scarf etc.

"Stay only in a nationalist area"...ever heard of the word integration???

In the context of Belfast individual safety comes before integration. Coincidently I may be moving to Belfast this summer. I mentioned to a mate yesterday the job is in East Belfast and he(who is from Belfast) did a double take and told me to be careful! You know fine well a southern accent can provoke a response in some people in the PUL community in the north, only a minority of course but the poster's asking for safety tips.

A southern accent won't be a problem in a nationalist area.

Another guy I spoke to last night (Protestant from Belfast) said to stay in South Belfast as it was neutral or West/New Lodge because they were nationalist. He said there's still a lot of bitter people and it wouldn't be worth risking potential hassle staying in a PUL area.

As for saying only people in Sandy Row and the the Shankill Bars are sectarian in Northern Ireland...is that another piss-take???

Apologies. I worded that very badly. I only mentioned them because they are areas near the city centre where southern accents wouldn't go down well. If the poster was from Britain and was asking the same question I would have said the exact same thing but mentioned Republican areas of Belfast instead.

You are from Dublin Bottle of Smoke...thank God most sane and civilised people in Northern Ireland don't have an attitude like yours regarding safety and how our southern friends are treated by non-catholics or non-nationalists!!!

Why you have even mentioned the word "nationalist" is baffling!!! That is a word usually branded about in politics!!

Listen to other posts in this thread nadnerb111 other than the one above this one!

I've lived in Northern Ireland for 2 years. I was just telling him my experience. As for your objection of the term "nationalist area" - what would be the correct way to describe one?

Paul4As

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »

We've posted on the same threads before and you generally come across as a great guy but I've noticed you are quite sensitive about this issue so I'll explain exactly what I meant.

I said that in the context of "if I'm on my own at night" That's when you're most likely to run into guys looking for a reason for a fight. As for spotting I said an "obvious nationalist" - this would imply something like a ROI football jersey/celtic scarf etc.

In the context of Belfast individual safety comes before integration. Coincidently I may be moving to Belfast this summer. I mentioned to a mate yesterday the job is in East Belfast and he(who is from Belfast) did a double take and told me to be careful! You know fine well a southern accent can provoke a response in some people in the PUL community in the north, only a minority of course but the poster's asking for safety tips.

A southern accent won't be a problem in a nationalist area.

Another guy I spoke to last night (Protestant from Belfast) said to stay in South Belfast as it was neutral or West/New Lodge because they were nationalist. He said there's still a lot of bitter people and it wouldn't be worth risking potential hassle staying in a PUL area.

Apologies. I worded that very badly. I only mentioned them because they are areas near the city centre where southern accents wouldn't go down well. If the poster was from Britain and was asking the same question I would have said the exact same thing but mentioned Republican areas of Belfast instead.

I've lived in Northern Ireland for 2 years. I was just telling him my experience. As for your objection of the term "nationalist area" - what would be the correct way to describe one?

I'm not sensitive at all about this issue...more alarmed that for your own safety you put on an Ulster accent if you don't think the person you are talking to is a catholic...and you are considering moving to Belfast!!!...are you considering taking vocal lessons to perfect the northern accent in preparation?

In all cities you need to be careful...especially if you are new to the area and stand out with a different accent! It applies throughout Ireland and the UK.

You say "a southern accent won't be a problem in nationalist areas"...why is that...is the crime rate there zero??? Anybody can encounter difficulties anywhere these days whether their accent "fits" or not!!!

As for you saying..."If the poster was from Britain and was asking the same question I would have said the exact same thing but mentioned Republican areas of Belfast instead"...are trying to put off everyone coming to Belfast??? I hope you don't work for the Northern Ireland Tourist Board!!!

As for the word "nationalist"...which you used twice in your first post...as someone who has lived in Belfast for 30 years plus...it is a term I don't use unless relating it to politics...maybe you have heard it being branded about watching the news down south and hence use it more readily than me. I use the word "catholic"...to describe people or areas...as not all catholics are nationalists!

I'm still waiting for someone to produce an article giving evidence that there is some form of ethnic cleansing or repeated attacks on southerners in Belfast by non-catholics???

Nednerb111...come to Belfast and enjoy...Queens is a class university...you will meet people from both sides of the divide and you will find that in most cases we are all the same no matter what religion we are!!!

Answer to your question...is Belfast safe??? Yes...it is as safe as a city can be!

pow wow

Easy tigers

In Bottle_of_Smoke's 'defence' I do have to say that all us 'Southerners' ever hear about Northern Ireland on the news etc. when we're at home is 'so and so got blown up', 'so and so was battered', 'so and so claimed responsibility for said bombing/battering' so we are predisposed to be, you may think irrationally, quite wary of the place and unwittingly ending up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

As I've said before though, I've never had an ounce of trouble bar the riot in the Short Strand (where I was in the wrong place at the wrong time!!) with my big thick Cork accent in deepest East Belfast. Every city has parts you might not want to visit, and the dynamics of why you might not want to go there are slightly different in NI. That said though, I'm sure both of you would agree that random attacks on 'Southerners' never really make it onto the news - I would hope because they very rarely happen.

Try and keep the thread on track please guys.

North_West_Art

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »

a PUL area.

You mean like Copper Face Jacks? :pac:

Bottle_of_Smoke

Paul4As wrote: »

I'm not sensitive at all about this issue...more alarmed that for your own safety you put on an Ulster accent if you don't think the person you are talking to is a catholic...and you are considering moving to Belfast!!!...are you considering taking vocal lessons to perfect the northern accent in preparation?

In all cities you need to be careful...especially if you are new to the area and stand out with a different accent! It applies throughout Ireland and the UK.

Yes of course you do. That's taken for granted. He's clearly asking the question from a "post-troubles" point of view

You say "a southern accent won't be a problem in nationalist areas"...why is that...is the crime rate there zero??? Anybody can encounter difficulties anywhere these days whether their accent "fits" or not!!!

You're being ridiculous now. The poster was clearly asking for advice regards the whole sectarian issue. That's what I was responding to

As for you saying..."If the poster was from Britain and was asking the same question I would have said the exact same thing but mentioned Republican areas of Belfast instead"...are trying to put off everyone coming to Belfast??? I hope you don't work for the Northern Ireland Tourist Board!!!

Again fine if you want to make a joke out of it. If you recommend your English mates stay in republican areas well then I feel sorry for them

As for the word "nationalist"...which you used twice in your first post...as someone who has lived in Belfast for 30 years plus...it is a term I don't use unless relating it to politics...maybe you have heard it being branded about watching the news down south and hence use it more readily than me. I use the word "catholic"...to describe people or areas...as not all catholics are nationalists!

Its used in the news in the UK, its not offensive or taboo, its simply a statement to describe an area. Quit being pedantic.

I'm still waiting for someone to produce an article giving evidence that there is some form of ethnic cleansing or repeated attacks on southerners in Belfast by non-catholics???

THe guy asked for advice. I've lived in Coleraine(a unionist/loyalist town with a mix of working/middle classes) for the past 2 years. Numerous taxi drivers have warned me to never go into a pub in Coleraine. I'm sorry if this offends your vision of Northern Ireland but I value the posters safety more than your sensitivities so gonna give him an honest account. Loyalists see southerners the same way they see republicans in the six counties and well you know it.

m@cc@

Yet another Belfast thread de-railed by BS..............

Paul4As

Southerners...come to Belfast to shop, work, study...whatever!!! The only thing you can do is experience the city for yourself!!!...then form your own opinion!!!
I am a protestant...I am a unionist...I am a loyalist...I would go out of my way to help you if you ever visited...just like I would do for anybody from England, Scotland, Wales, mainland Europe or the world!!!
As a protestant, unionist and loyalist I treat everyone who visit my city as I would want to be treated if I visited their city or town!!!
All decent catholics and protestants will treat visitors with respect...it is only the minority of people on both sides who have hang-ups about the past and still wish to continue on sectarianism...because they have nothing else to do!!!

Micilin Muc

Fair play to you Paul, I've no doubt you're not the only person in Northern Ireland who is as welcoming as you are.

As a matter of interest, would you think it's safe for somebody in an Ireland jersey to walk through Sandy Row?

Paul4As

Micilin Muc wrote: »

Fair play to you Paul, I've no doubt you're not the only person in Northern Ireland who is as welcoming as you are.

As a matter of interest, would you think it's safe for somebody in an Ireland jersey to walk through Sandy Row?

I don't think there is much fair playing about it Micilin Muc...being nice to people who are new to the area is what everybody should do!!! Was over in Edinburgh a few weeks ago and their hospitality was second to none...no wonder there were so many tourists...locals are very friendly!!!

I don't live in Sandy Row...but I think it would be the same scenario for someone in a Northern Ireland jersey walking through a predominantly catholic area...I did see someone with a Celtic jersey walk in a 100% protestant estate in Belfastthe other week...didn't hear of anyone being attacked on the news for wearing the hoops shirt...did you???
Probably the same for someone in a Rangers shirt walking through a inner city residential area in a southern city!!!
Common sense is the key which many of the posters seem to be highlighting!!!
As I've said before your accent...and even your replica sports kit may fit the area...doesn't mean you are immune to crime!!!
We have to get away from labelling areas in Northern Ireland as no go areas for groups of people!!! Or thinking all the people in a particular housing estate all act and think the same!!!
It is not where you live, but how you live!!!

I think most people who come on to this forum are looking reassurance that coming to Belfast to live or work or to see a concert that they will be safe...no one can guarantee 100% safety to anyone whether they are your normal Joe Bloggs, the Queen or the Pope....but Belfast is generally a safe city!!! Some of the scaremongering that has been posted would put most people off!!! So...well done my friends!!! :rolleyes:

I think a new thread should be started by some of the posters on this thread..."Reasons never to visit Belfast"...or "Southerners beware of all Northern Ireland Jaffas"...:D

I am out of this thread before I have to read more hyped up nonsense!!!...and people create stupid scenarios!!!

Bottle_of_Smoke

Paul4As wrote: »

All decent catholics and protestants will treat visitors with respect...it is only the minority of people on both sides who have hang-ups about the past and still wish to continue on sectarianism...because they have nothing else to do!!!

Completely agree. But that is the monority the OP wants to avoid. That's why it would make more sense to stay in a nationalist area. I hope you didn't think I was suggesting everyone from the PULcommunity would hate him or anything.

aquascrotum

Just to add my 2-cents worth....

I think Bottle's being a tad over cautious in his advice. My advice in terms of where to base yourself is to avoid areas that are obviously strongly working class Loyalist areas - go for a drive, you'll know them for yourself when you see them. Common sense on all parts is all that's required.

There are vast areas of pleasantness in much of East Belfast, South Belfast etc that you'd be missing out on if you stuck to the west and new lodge. The areas to be avoided are very much a tiny minority in the context of the whole city.

Bottle_of_Smoke

aquascrotum wrote: »

Just to add my 2-cents worth....

I think Bottle's being a tad over cautious in his advice. My advice in terms of where to base yourself is to avoid areas that are obviously strongly working class Loyalist areas - go for a drive, you'll know them for yourself when you see them. Common sense on all parts is all that's required.

There are vast areas of pleasantness in much of East Belfast, South Belfast etc that you'd be missing out on if you stuck to the west and new lodge. The areas to be avoided are very much a tiny minority in the context of the whole city.

Maybe you know better, thats fair enough, i'm jus going by advice given by people living here and my own experience. I did actually recommend south belfast or a nationalist area. I'm sure there are suitable places in parts of east belfast too.

John368

NAdnerb111

I think if you have a thread with a title like this, it will naturally be offensive to some people who live in Belfast. It is like asking someone from New York is New York safe because of all the bad news stories we hear about that place or even asking someone from Iceland is it safe (because of the volcanoes).

I think it is really up to you to decide and you cannot really ask people from Belfast without getting the emotive responses that you have gotten here. The decision you are making is like any other decision about going to a university away from your home city and away from people you are familiar with.

munchkin_utd

aquascrotum wrote: »

There are vast areas of pleasantness in much of East Belfast, South Belfast .......

Lovely thought that!!

Seriously. The leafy suburbs of stranmillis and malone are possibly the nicest areas in ireland where you could possibly live.

And the university area itsself is spot on too.

Went to college there and did my masters there too. Never had a problem with being a southerner in college or around and about.

you should probably note that the vast vast majority of any schomozzles in Belfast that you might have seen on the news were very localised to areas of North Belfast or West Belfast, which are areas you'll have nothing to do with if you are a student in Queens.

Sure if you ask anyone that went to college in Limerick they will tell you a similar story about the violence there. All the shotings and stabings are localised and nothing to do with daily student life.
And the gangland stuff in Dublin. 17 Murders in Dublin now but not an issue for students.

Micilin Muc

John368 wrote: »

NAdnerb111

I think if you have a thread with a title like this, it will naturally be offensive to some people who live in Belfast.

To pretend that the OP's question is not valid is very naïve. The OP does not know what Belfast is like to live in and it is not his fault. Any level-headed Belfast citizen would not take offence as they know what Belfast was like, and is like now.

John368 wrote: »

... you cannot really ask people from Belfast without getting the emotive responses that you have gotten here.

I think the OP should be mature enough to gauge whether a post is emotive or objective. Paul4As's and RiverFarset's comments are clearly objective, I don't know where John368 thinks posters are being emotive.

John368

Micilin Muc

Wow, now that told me.

Well that is just the way I see it. By the way how well do you personally know Belfast? You seem quite an expert on it.

John

Micilin Muc

John368 wrote: »

By the way how well do you personally know Belfast? You seem quite an expert on it.

John

Well enough. I've been there hundreds of times visiting relations, friends, on business, on holidays ...

John368

Micilin Muc wrote: »

Well enough. I've been there hundreds of times visiting relations, friends, on business, on holidays ...

That is fair enough. We "upnorth" get a bit sensitive about people who are maybe only a few 100 miles away thinking that Belfast is some sort place like Outer Mongolia (no offense meant to any Outer Mongolians reading this I am sure it is a nice place).

Nadnerb111

If you are still there, I get the feeling (or hunch) that you are doubtful about studying in the course that you have been accepted for at Queens and perhaps are maybe want convincing to do it. I would make sure that it is the best course for you first of all. Make sure that everything else is OK with regard to value for money and the cost of living in Belfast. The Euro/pound exchange seems to keep fluctuating so that is a factor. Also travelling away from home etc. etc.

The fact of being a mature student, might be of concern to you as you are less likely to have friends of your own age and thus you might feel more isolated than if you were an 18 year old. I have been both a teenage student and a mature student and there is certainly a difference. The mature students tended nearly always to live locally and have a social network already built up and do not really take part in social life at university.

John

eth0_

Fecks sake you're not going to get shot in Belfast for having a Southern accent!
It's pretty obvious in Belfast where the "bad areas" are - they're handly marked out by their painted kerbstones and bunting. Obviously avoid them. Even the "natives" avoid them. Get a flat around Botanic/Stranmillis/Ormeau and you'll love it.

Even the old advice of "never talk about politics with a stranger in the North" isn't really valid anymore.

We have moved on since the 70's/80's you know.

And OP - I presume you were going to check out Belfast before you accepted the place in Queens?

perennial

Just to add my two cents... Belfast is a really fun, relatively disruption free city. Just as my english mum has lived here for 20 years with absolutely no one from a nationalist background caring where she's from, you'll be exactly the same. Just as long as you don't run around singing irish rebel songs on sandy row, you'll be fine, haha.

When I hear a southerner I swoon, love your accents, as most people here do! I wouldn't advise you to look at particular areas with any greater caution than anyone from norn iron does. There are dodgy areas (as with any city) but it's largely it's trouble free and peaceful. 99% of us care about the people, not the politics. Hope you have fun at Queens.