Belfast's History in Two Hours

My name is Barry and I come from Belfast - well, somebody had to! Somebody once asked me had I lived in Belfast all of my life, thankfully I am able to say, 'not yet'. I jest of course, but I want to invite you to join me on my unique tours of the city that I call home. It's a beautiful city that has a divided past, but it looks to the future with renewed vigour and confidence. I want to bring you through the sights and the sounds of Belfast, and show you the culture and creativity that made my city an industrial giant of the Victorian age. I will walk you through timeless streets and bring alive the ghosts of the past that have a tale or two to tell. I will engage, entertain and educate, while showing you the hidden gems of Belfast that only a 'mere local' can identify - so, please, feel free to contact me and I guarantee that you will experience something that little bit different which will make your visit memorable and enjoyable. But first, a little bit about myself. My passion for Belfast began when I was born in the city's maternity hospital in 1970 - when our Troubles were only five months old [the Troubles were not my fault I assure you]. That era has shaped who I am since it was a constant presence in my life and has given me the deep insight into our political, cultural and religious make-up. But there's more. I immersed myself in the long history of Belfast to try and understand how the past created our divided society and, in doing so, I came to appreciate the strange facts and the absurd realities that have shaped the Belfast of today. I have a love of Belfast, its people and its streets. Its fine buildings and proud past and I want to give you a glimpse 'over the wall' so as you will discover the stories behind the standard narrative. I want to take you back to the town in which Charles Dickens read to an enthralled audience in the Ulster Hall; to the very streets where Winston Churchill was forced to flee amid the wrath of an angry mob in 1912; and also to the very street where 1, 000 police officers were called in to escort the 'just famous' Beatles through a screaming mass of humanity in 1963 - indeed, a certain Paul McCartney has a family link to Belfast and if you scratch the surface, there are stories on every corner. I tell those stories with a passion, authority and, most importantly, an ironic and self-deprecating degree of humour. I am a Belfast Green Badge (NITGA) qualified tour guide and have published 11 books since 2007, which have concentrated on a range of historical issues related to Belfast and Ireland. I have 17 years' broadcast experience with BBC Radio Ulster, principally as a sports reporter. I have excellent communication skills and the ability to tell stories with passion, authority and a degree of humour. I am adaptable and have the personal skills to make my talks engaging, and interactive. My writing career has revolved principally around Belfast and its sporting history. However, I have acquired an in-depth knowledge of Belfast and its social and historical origins. I have a passion for Belfast, its buildings, streets parks, cemeteries and its people. I am a registered speaker for the Federation for Ulster Local Studies and have presented numerous talks on Belfast to tour groups and historical societies. Anyway, enough of the fine words and I will leave you with an anecdote. The great English writer Dr Samuel Johnson, once visited the world famous Giant's Causeway in Ireland [45 miles from Belfast and I would gladly organise a tour there if interested]. He was asked for his impressions of the attraction, to which he famously responded, "Worth seeing, yes; but not worth going to see. " Well, to paraphrase the great Johnson, I will guarantee you that my tour of Belfast will convince you that Belfast is, very much, worth seeing and very much worth going to see. Barry I am a Belfast Green Badge (NITGA) qualified tour guide and have published 11 books since 2007, which have concentrated on a range of historical issues related to Belfast and Ireland. I have 20 years' broadcast experience with BBC Radio Ulster, principally as a sports reporter. I have excellent communication skills and the ability to tell stories with passion, authority and a degree of humour. I am adaptable and have the personal skills to make my talks engaging, and interactive. I am a registered speaker for the Federation for Ulster Local Studies and have extensive tour guiding experience. None.