Have some fun looking at what some Belfast streets used to be called or what are called now ....

Royal Avenue was once called Hercules Street after Hercules Langford.
AND…… Hercules Street was first called Herison’s Lean.

Squeeze Gut Entry was a lane between Bank Lane and Castle Street

Royal Avenue, (top end) was once called John Street.

Fountain Lane, , was called Water Lane, once the site of natural springs .

Castle Street (upper part) was once called Mill Street.

Corn Market was once called The Shambles.

Sandy Row was originally called “Carr’s Row“.

Marquis Street was formerly called Ferguson’s Lane.

Antrim Road (lower part) was once called Duncairn Street.

North Street was once called Goose Lane,

Victoria Street (lower end) was Cow Lane, along which cattle were drove to Points Fields at the end of Corporation Street, the drovers were known as “Cow Wallopers”

Gresham Street was originally Hudson’s Entry .. and Lane

Kent Street was originally called Margaret Street and houses there rented for 2 shillings a week, also the first “Ragged School” opened there.

Chapel Lane was earlier called Crooked lane.

Bank Lane was once known as “Back Of The Water”, later “Brics lane”, it was here Waddell Cunningham who, with others, tried to introduce Slave trade to Belfast lived.

Garfield Street was originally Bell’s Lane (named after the brewery)

Whiterock Road was formerly known as Sinclaires Loanan. (lane)

Ardoyne Road once housed “Ardoyne Village”, the road was “Lane” then.

Exchange Street was originally called Green Street ( after Robert Green)

Robert Street in old Half Bap was changed to Exchange Street West.

Manor Street was originally Cabul Street . (Kabul?)

Howard Street was originally Henrietta Street

“Ardoyne” area, from the Gaelic, built on ancient Ardoyne townland.

The collapse of the Albert Bridge

Grosvenor Road was once known as Grosvenor Street.

Durham Street was formerly called Malone Road.

Farrington Gardens was originally called Ardglen Gardens.

Holmdene Gardens was firstly called Glenard Drive.

Estoril Park formerly called Glenard Parade.

Northwick Drive was first called Ardglen Drive.

Highbury Gardens was formerly Glenard Gardens.

Clonard Gardens was originally Clonard Street.

Etna Drive (Ardoyne) was Ardglen Crescent

Stratford Gardens was originally Ardglen Park

Ladbrook Drive was earlier called Glenard Gardens.

Strathroy Park was first called Glenard Parade.

Velsheda Park was originally Ardglen Park.

Fort Street (Springfield Avenue ) was originally Fortune Street and in recent years nicknamed “Sooty Street”. the street was infamous in earlier years as being prone to flooding.

Berwick Road (Ardoyne) was earlier Ardglen Parade.

Seaforde Street was originally called Chapel Lane

Dunedin Park was earlier called Glenard Drive.

Brompton Park ,part of, called Glenard Park, other , Ardoyne Avenue

Winetavern Street was known as Pipe Lane, Clay Pipe manufacturing. Other streets long gone by Winetavern Street were Winetavern Street Place, Duffin’s Court and more recently Samuel Street.

Springfield Avenue was once Elliott’s Row, was earlier called Goats Row.

Donegall Road once known as Blackstaff Lane, and later Blackstaff Road.

Louisa Street (Oldpark) was formerly called Brooklyn Street.

Dee Street was formerly Club Row Lane.

Dunbar Street originally called Grattan Street.

Carrick Hill and North Queen street was known as the Carrickfergus Road, was the main coach road.

Caddell’s Entry shown on 1791 map as running between Castle Place and Rosemary Street

Legg’s Lane tore down to make way for Lombard Street.

Bullers Field for long well known as a grazing area, was built up on to make houses for what became the Half Bap and “Little Italy” , built up areas.

Albert Street was Brogan Lane, Brogan Row, Albert Crescent, then Albert Street. The lower end of this street was meadowland and pasture.

Malcomson Street was built on site of Malcomson’s Mill.

Ballysillan Park was originally known as Buttermilk Loney. (Lane)

Falls Road, named after the district it led to, and later extraordinarily led from,

Lettuce Hill, was in old “Falls” Area , when redeveloped renamed John Street. Richard Turley, a resident of 12 Lettuce Hill, was fireman on the fateful “Titantic“, and lost his life in that tragedy.

Paradise Row, was in old “Falls” area close to Barracks Street.

“The Falls”, in old maps was the area around junction of Millfield and Hamill Street .

Townsend street. named as the then end of urban town.

Boundary Street, named as end of newly extended town of those days.

Barrack Street, named through proximity to site of military barracks.

Ballymurphy Street originally Mica Street and Sunbeam Street.

Beechview Park (Falls) was formerly Giants Foot Road.

Hamill Street named after the Hamill family who developed that

John Street named after John Hamill, family buried at Hannastown .

Dunville Street, Park, etc, named after the Dunville Whiskey family.

Sorrella Street named after the “Sorella Trust“ set up to maintain Dunville Park.

Distillery Street, named through proximity to Dunvilles Whiskey Distillery site.

Leopold Street. (Crumlin Road) at one time was called “Quality Row”

New Lodge Road built roughly on old site of “Pinkerton Row”

Pinkerton Row named after Pinkerton the local mill owning family.

Cliftonville Road, area originally was to be named as “Cliftonville Garden Village“.

Bridge Street, named as link to bridge over Farset River at High Street .

Skipper Street, sea faring link to this, the earliest “Sailortown”, of Belfast.

Ewart’s Row, named after the mill owner and land lord William Ewart.

Ballymurphy Estate, built part on the ancient “Townland of Murphy”

Nansen Street, named to honour F. Nansen, the Norwegian explorer.

Pound Street, built on site of lane that led to town’s old animal pound.

Pound Loney.. Old district now gone built near Pound and St Peter’s. A Little stream that flowed through the area at Durham Street was called , “The Pound Burn” , was covered in in early 1970’s

Belle Steele Road named after local land owner and renowned liberal, a close friend to the Hamill family and is said to have hidden the vessels of the Mass for her Catholic neighbours so that they could hold secret Mass in the Penal days.

Oman, Sevastopol, Balaclava Streets named after Crimean battles mid 1800’s.

Half Bap . near St. Anne’s Cathedral, named because of the odd mound shaped roundabout , (like top half of a bap) at the end of Talbot Street, poignant as one remembers that it was in this area, Donegall Street, that Barney Hughes invented his famous Belfast Bap. This mound could well be described as Belfast’s first roundabout.

Few will be aware that there was also at one time near the Durham Street

Grovernor road junction another Belfast area also called “The Half Bap”

“Little Italy“, an old district now gone peopled by many Italian emigrants.

“The Hammer” district, an old Shankill area at Agnes Street,, now redeveloped.

“The Nick”, an old Shankill area redeveloped mid 1960’s.

“The Fenian Gut”, old district near Gallagher’s factory, now gone.

“The Alley”, very loyalist old York Street district, 20’s troubles, Buck Alec’s domain.

“Sailortown”, dockland area settled around Corporation Street now redeveloped.

Ballymacarrat, old district on east side of River Lagan, once called “Wee Belfast”

Short Strand, the east strand between the Queens and Albert Bridges.

“The Market”, very old district centred around Belfast abattoir and farm markets.

Lancaster street, named after Quaker School/ educational system founded there.

“Iveagh,” area built at old Broadway Village, named after the Iveagh Trust.

Iveagh Crescent was originally called Celtic Parade.

Hector Street (Half Bap) originally called Caxton Street.

“McCances Glen” named from the land owner John McCance.

Suffolk area, built on site of Suffolk House and land, home of the McCance’s family.,John McCance had been Mayor of Belfast.

“Springhill“, modern area named after an a once nearby ancient “Clachan” , which was close to “Molly‘s Well“ at the top of the Mountain Loney, now called Upper Whiterock Road..

Kane Street (Clonard) was firstly known as Aboo Street.

“Turf Lodge” named after “Turf Lodge Farm” on which land the estate is built.

Cavan Street, old street once sited at side of Clonard Cinema, long gone.

Craig Street, Falls Road, now gone named after a local mill, Craig’s Mill.

Conway Street named to ’honour’ the planter family and robber baron.

Downfine Estate, named after the ancient town land, “Ballydownfine”.

NewBarnsley, named after a local Clachan sadly burned down in recent troubles.

Dermott Hill , merely named so , from a family members name, by the builder of the estate late 1960’s, it is believed that the estate is built upon an ancient cairn.

Cavendish Street named after an assassinated British politician.

Sugarfield Street, Shankill , built on site of “Sugarfield House“, home of Rev of Rev Isaac Nelson, Presbyterian minister at Donegall Street Church, he was an ardent Nationalist, and Nationalist M.P.

Bread Street, (Pound Loney) now gone , named through proximity to Flour mill.

Alexander Street North, named after landlord, flour mill owner John Alexander.

Milford street, named after Alexander’s Co. Carlow birthplace.

Ardmoulin Avenue named after his house “Ardmoulin”, his earliest corn mill would have been where the “Morning Star” hostel stands today in Divis Street of course you know this building was once “Brickfields Police Barracks”, was still a barracks right into the 1920’s troubles.

Whitesidetown renamed Andersonstown after the Whiteside family who were dispossessed through their leanings to the principles of United Irishmen. a name Change back to Whiteside- town may be appropriate ?).

Andersonstown Park South was earlier called Andersonstown Place.

Alliance Gardens was firstly called Alliance Place

Church Street was first called School House Lane.

Queen’s Island was once called Dargan’s island.

Edward Street was named after this character Edward May as was May Street Edward May will go down in local history as the man who pioneered the reclamation of land from the Lough edges, but more infamously as the man who desecrated the graves of those buried there at St Georges graveyard at High Street and Ann Street. so as to sell the land for the development. of Church/ Ann Street.

Westland Road was originally Barley Mill Lane.

“Bigger’s Entry”, ran west from Crown Entry, some say that the Biggar family lived here from the mid 1600’s, and had a shop in High Street.

Neeson’s Court , changed it’s name to Burns Court it was a little Entry running from King Street to Hamill street.

Royal Avenue was once called Hercules Street after Hercules Langford.
AND…… Hercules Street was first called Herison’s Lean.

Squeeze Gut Entry was a lane between Bank Lane and Castle Street

Royal Avenue, (top end) was once called John Street.

Fountain Lane, , was called Water Lane, once the site of natural springs .

Castle Street (upper part) was once called Mill Street.

Corn Market was once called The Shambles.

Sandy Row was originally called “Carr’s Row“.

Marquis Street was formerly called Ferguson’s Lane.

Antrim Road (lower part) was once called Duncairn Street.

North Street was once called Goose Lane,

Victoria Street (lower end) was Cow Lane, along which cattle were drove to Points Fields at the end of Corporation Street, the drovers were known as “Cow Wallopers”

Gresham Street was originally Hudson’s Entry .. and Lane

Kent Street was originally called Margaret Street and houses there rented for 2 shillings a week, also the first “Ragged School” opened there.

Chapel Lane was earlier called Crooked lane.

Bank Lane was once known as “Back Of The Water”, later “Brics lane”, it was here Waddell Cunningham who, with others, tried to introduce Slave trade to Belfast lived.

Garfield Street was originally Bell’s Lane (named after the brewery)

Whiterock Road was formerly known as Sinclaires Loanan. (lane)

Ardoyne Road once housed “Ardoyne Village”, the road was “Lane” then.

Exchange Street was originally called Green Street ( after Robert Green)

Robert Street in old Half Bap was changed to Exchange Street West.

Howard Street was originally Henrietta Street

“Ardoyne” area, from the Gaelic, built on ancient Ardoyne townland.

Grosvenor Road was once known as Grosvenor Street.

Durham Street was formerly called Malone Road.

Farrington Gardens was originally called Ardglen Gardens.

Holmdene Gardens was firstly called Glenard Drive.

Estoril Park formerly called Glenard Parade.

Northwick Drive was first called Ardglen Drive.

Highbury Gardens was formerly Glenard Gardens.

Clonard Gardens was originally Clonard Street.

Etna Drive (Ardoyne) was Ardglen Crescent

Stratford Gardens was originally Ardglen Park

Ladbrook Drive was earlier called Glenard Gardens.

Strathroy Park was first called Glenard Parade.

Velsheda Park was originally Ardglen Park.

Fort Street (Springfield Avenue ) was originally Fortune Street and in recent years nicknamed “Sooty Street”. the street was infamous in earlier years as being prone to flooding.

Berwick Road (Ardoyne) was earlier Ardglen Parade.

Seaforde Street was originally called Chapel Lane

Dunedin Park was earlier called Glenard Drive.

Brompton Park ,part of, called Glenard Park, other , Ardoyne Avenue

Winetavern Street was known as Pipe Lane, Clay Pipe manufacturing. Other streets long gone by Winetavern Street were Winetavern Street Place, Duffin’s Court and more recently Samuel Street.

Springfield Avenue was once Elliott’s Row, was earlier called Goats Row.

Donegall Road once known as Blackstaff Lane, and later Blackstaff Road.

Louisa Street (Oldpark) was formerly called Brooklyn Street.

Dee Street was formerly Club Row Lane.

Dunbar Street originally called Grattan Street.

Carrick Hill and North Queen street was known as the Carrickfergus Road, was the main coach road.

Caddell’s Entry shown on 1791 map as running between Castle Place and Rosemary Street

Legg’s Lane tore down to make way for Lombard Street.

Bullers Field for long well known as a grazing area, was built up on to make houses for what became the Half Bap and “Little Italy” , built up areas.

Albert Street was Brogan Lane, Brogan Row, Albert Crescent, then Albert Street. The lower end of this street was meadowland and pasture.

Falls Road, named after the district it led to, and later extraordinarily led from,

Lettuce Hill, was in old “Falls” Area , when redeveloped renamed John Street. Richard Turley, a resident of 12 Lettuce Hill, was fireman on the fateful “Titantic“, and lost his life in that tragedy.

Paradise Row, was in old “Falls” area close to Barracks Street.

“The Falls”, in old maps was the area around junction of Millfield and Hamill Street .

Townsend street. named as the then end of urban town.

Boundary Street, named as end of newly extended town of those days

Barrack Street, named through proximity to site of military barracks.

Ballymurphy Street originally Mica Street and Sunbeam Street.

Beechview Park (Falls) was formerly Giants Foot Road.

Hamill Street named after the Hamill family who developed that area.

John Street named after John Hamill, family buried at Hannastown .

Dunville Street, Park, etc, named after the Dunville Whiskey family.

Sorrella Street named after the “Sorella Trust“ set up to maintain Dunville Park.

Distillery Street, named through proximity to Dunvilles Whiskey Distillery site.

Leopold Street. (Crumlin Road) at one time was called “Quality Row”

New Lodge Road built roughly on old site of “Pinkerton Row”

Pinkerton Row named after Pinkerton the local mill owning family.

Cliftonville Road, area originally was to be named as “Cliftonville Garden Village“.

Bridge Street, named as link to bridge over Farset River at High Street .

Skipper Street, sea faring link to this, the earliest “Sailortown”, of Belfast.

Ewart’s Row, named after the mill owner and land lord William Ewart.

Ballymurphy Estate, built part on the ancient “Townland of Murphy”

Nansen Street, named to honour F. Nansen, the Norwegian explorer.

Pound Street, built on site of lane that led to town’s old animal pound.

Pound Loney.. Old district now gone built near Pound and St Peter’s. A Little stream that flowed through the area at Durham Street was called , “The Pound Burn” , was covered in in early 1970’s

Belle Steele Road named after local land owner and renowned liberal, a close friend to the Hamill family and is said to have hidden the vessels of the Mass for her Catholic neighbours so that they could hold secret Mass in the Penal days.

Oman, Sevastopol, Balaclava Streets named after Crimean battles mid 1800’s.

Half Bap . near St. Anne’s Cathedral, named because of the odd mound shaped roundabout , (like top half of a bap) at the end of Talbot Street, poignant as one remembers that it was in this area, Donegall Street, that Barney Hughes invented his famous Belfast Bap. This mound could well be described as Belfast’s first roundabout.

Few will be aware that there was also at one time near the Durham Street Grovernor road junction another Belfast area also called “The Half Bap”

“Little Italy“, an old district now gone peopled by many Italian emigrants.

Hector Street (Half Bap) originally called Caxton Street.

Andersonstown Park South was earlier called Andersonstown Place.

Alliance Gardens was firstly called Alliance Place

Church Street was first called School House Lane.

GENERAL BELFAST BOUNDARY IN THE YEAR 1842

From the point at which the River Blackstaff meets the watercourse which flows along the street called Donegall Pass, along the said watercourse, to the point at which Donegall Pass crosses to the aqueduct which supplies the Town ; thence, southward, along the aqueduct, to the point at which the same joins the stream by which it is fed, thence, westward, along the said stream, to the point at which the same meets Blackstaff Lane, thence, along the south side of Blackstaff Lane, to the centre of the brick building of the reservoir or fountain, thence, in a straight line to a circular building at a springhead or well, called  Tea Lane Fountain, thence, in a straight line, to another circular bricked fountain or well, in the grounds near the Flax Mill belonging to Messrs. Murphy and Company, thence, in a straight line to the south eastern angle of the boundary of the Townland of Edenderry, thence, northward, along the said Townland boundary, to the point at which the same meets a stream, thence, westward, along the said stream, to the point at which the same meets the western wall of Mr. Fras. McCracken's ropewalk, thence, northward, along the wall of the said ropewalk, to the point at which the same meets the Shank Hill road, thence, in a straight line to the southernmost point at which the boundary of the New Burying Ground meets the Antrim road, thence, northward, along the Antrim road, to the point at which the same meets the road leading from the Antrim road to the old road from Belfast to Carrickfergus, thence, along the said road leading to the old road to Carrickfergus, to the point at which the same meets the old road from Belfast to Carrickfergus, thence, northward, along the old road from Belfast to Carrickfergus, to the point at which the same meets the Mill Water, thence, eastward, along the Mill Water, to the point at which the same meets the shore of Belfast Lough, thence, in a straight line across Belfast Lough, to the north eastern point of the boundary of the Townland of Ballymacarrett, thence, southward, along the boundary of the Townland of Ballymacarrett, to the southernmost point at which the same meets the River Lagan, thence, southward, along the River Lagan, to the point at which same meets the River Blackstaff, thence, along the River Blackstaff, to the point first described.
To be divided into Five Wards according to the following boundaries, and in every such Ward there shall be two Alderman and six Councillors.

No. 1. Dock Ward. - From the south eastern angle of Donegall Quay, westward, along Donegall Quay, to the point at which the same meets Waring Street, thence, along Waring Street, to the point at which the same meets Mary Street, thence, northward, along Mary Street, to the point at which the same meets Gordon Street, thence, westward, along Gordon Street, to the point at which the same meets Grattan Street, thence, along Grattan Street, to the point at which the same meets Green Street, thence, along Green Street, to the point at which the same meets Academy Street, thence, northward, along Academy Street, to the point at which the same meets Great Patrick Street, thence, westward, along Great Patrick Street, to the point at which the same meets Frederick Street, thence, along Frederick Street, to the point at which the same meets North Queen Street, thence, southward, along North Queen Street, to the southern angle of the boundary wall of the Belfast Poor House, thence, westward, along the new Antrim Road, to the point at which the same meets the boundary of the borough, thence, northward, and along the boundary of the same borough, to a point in the channel, 300 feet from the west shore of Belfast Lough, thence, in a straight line to the point first described.

No. 2. St. Anne's Ward. - From the point at which Waring Street meets Mary Street, northward, along Mary Street, to the point at which the same meets Gordon Street, thence, westward, along Gordon Street, to the point at which the same meets Grattan Street, thence, along Grattan Street, to the point at which the same meets Academy Street, thence, northward, along Academy Street, to the point at which the same meets Great Patrick Street, thence, westward, along Great Patrick Street, to the point at which the same meets Frederick Street, thence, along Frederick Street, to the point at which the same meets North Queen Street, thence, southward, along North Queen Street, to the southern angle of the boundary wall of the Belfast Poor House, thence, westward, along the new Antrim Road, to the point at which the same meets the boundary of the Borough, thence, westward, along the boundary of the Borough, to the point at which the same meets the Old Lodge Road, thence, eastward, along the Old Lodge Road, to the point at which the same meets North Street, thence, eastward, along North Street, to the point at which the same meets Waring Street, thence, along Waring Street, to the point first described.

No. 3. Smithfield Ward. - From the point at which North Street meets Rosemary Street, along Rosemary Street, to the point at which the same meets Hercules Place, thence, southward, along Hercules Place, passing in front of the Northern Bank, to the northern end of Donegall Place, thence, along Donegall Place, to the point at which the same meets Donegall Square North, thence, westward, along Donegall Square North, to the point at which the same meets Wellington Place, thence, along Wellington Place, to the point at which the same meets College Square East, thence, northward, along College Square, East, to the point at which the same meets College Square North, thence, westward, along College Square North, to the point at which the same meets Durham Street, thence, northward, along Durham Street, to the point at which the same meets Pound Street, thence, along Pound Street, to the point at which the same meets the boundary of the Borough, thence, northward, along the boundary of the Borough, to the point at which the same meets the Old Lodge Road, thence, eastward, along the Old Lodge Road, to the point at which the same meets North Street, thence, eastward, along North Street, to the point first described.

No. 4. St. George's Ward. - From the south eastern angle of Donegall Quay, westward, along Merchant's Quay, to the point at which the same meets Waring Street, thence, along Waring Street, to the point at which the same meets Rosemary Street, thence, along Rosemary Street, to the point at which the same meets Hercules Place, thence, southward, along Hercules Place, and passing in front of the Northern Bank, to the northern end of Donegall Place, thence, along Donegall Place, to the point at which the same meets Donegall Square North, thence, eastward, along Donegall Square North, to the point at which the same meets the River Lagan, thence, southward, along the River Lagan, to the New Bridge over the River Lagan, thence, eastward, along the New Road from Belfast to Bangor, to the point at which the same meets the Old Road from Belfast to Bangor, thence, eastward, along the Bangor Road, to the point at which the same crosses the boundary of the Borough, thence, northward, along the boundary of the Borough, to the point in the channel 300 feet from the west shore of Belfast Lough, thence, in a straight line to the point first described.

No. 5. Cromac Ward. - From the point at which the boundary of the Borough crosses Pound Street, southward, along Pound Street, to the point at which the same meets Durham Street, thence, along Durham Street, to the point at which the same meets College Square North, thence, along College Square North, to the point at which the same meets College Square East, thence, along College Square East, to the point at which the same meets Wellington Place, thence, along Wellington Place, to the point at which the same meets Donegall Square North, thence, along Donegall Square North, to the point at which the same meets Chichester Street, thence, along Chichester Street, to the point at which the same meets the River Lagan, thence, southward, along the River Lagan, to the New Bridge over the River Lagan, thence, eastward, along the New Bridge from Belfast to Bangor, to the point at which the same meets the Old Road from Belfast to Bangor, thence, eastward, along the Bangor Road, to the point at which the same crosses the boundary of the Borough, thence, southward, along the boundary of the Borough, to the point first described.

contact Joe Graham rushlight123@hotmail.com