The Belfast Entries

The Belfast Entries are a series of historical narrow alleyways in the city centre of Belfast, Northern Ireland, mostly in the vicinity of High Street and Ann Street. When the town was first laid out, these alleyways serviced dense residential and commercial development. The surviving examples retain pockets of historic development including many Victorian and pre-Victorian period pubs, some of which remain open for business to this day. Former Social Development Minister David Hanson described the Entries as the streets "where Belfast began and developed into the city it is today". Dating back to at least 1630 but most probably earlier than that, these entries are the oldest parts of Belfast city. The entries running north from High Street were largely destroyed during the Belfast Blitz in the Second World War. Despite this, some remain. In 2006 and 2007, a number of the Entries underwent environmental refurbishment to improve their condition.