These stunning historical photos show streets, landmarks, markets, and everyday life of Northern Ireland in the late 19th century. It was the time when the desire for an autonomous Ireland took on even more intensity and violence. The Irish Nationalist Party tried to balance power in the House of Commons, but the problem got worse especially after The Great Famine of 1845-51. British politicians also recognized that a resolution to problems in Ireland was paramount.
These photographs were captured by Irish photographer Robert John Welch. Welch specialized in outdoor photography and took thousands of photographs of the towns and scenery of Ireland. He was a skilled craftsman and his studies of Ireland and Irish life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries are today justly famous. A permanent exhibition at the Ulster Museum features twenty enlarged photographs of his works on the subject of travel and transport. Welch was a member of the Royal Irish Academy as well as serving as president of both the Belfast Naturalists’ Field Club and the Conchological Society of Great Britain & Ireland.
In the 19th century, wasn’t Ireland just regular?
Belfast had some beautiful buildings. Bombs destroyed many, but the majority were killed by poor city planning and replaced with ugly, bland slabs that now dominate the main shopping areas in Belfast.
What happened to Antrim Castle?
Fire in the 1920s, demolished in the 1970s
These are pictures of Ireland, not Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland didn’t even exist; we were happily unified at this time, before those from a foreign land divided us.
We were only unified for a brief period. Britain passed the act of union act directly after the 1798 rebellion, but it didn’t last long as Northern Ireland was created in 1921 to bring an end to the Anglo/Irish conflict. I truly believe after everything that’s came and past, we should be in a position to have proper dialogue about one island one Ireland, where everyone realises we aren’t so different to each after all.
Catholics/Protestants/non Conformists all need to realise that we are stronger together..
You were not unified for a short period – that is absurd. Ireland was one country (albeit under colonialist oppressive rule of the United Kingdom for quite some time).
The architecture in Belfast was so beautiful, shocking how much of it is gone or lying dereliction, i wish they would fix it up and bring back all the historical architecture that’s gone, would probably improve the tourism in the city too.