World War Two Tour on Translink Metro

York Street
York Street Mill was one of the largest in the world. They manufactured linen used in parachutes, covers for planes, and glider frames. During the Belfast Blitz, the mill wall collapsed killing many in adjacent streets. Take the Translink Metro 1A along the Antrim Road and disembark at Donegall Street.

Hogarth Street
Situated in the Tiger’s Bay area of North Belfast, Hogarth Street is home to a mural depicting the Belfast Blitz. A plaque lists the names of those who died in April and May 1941 including the Gordons and Wilsons who lost 8 family members each. Take the Translink Metro 1A along the Antrim Road and disembark at Cliftonville Road.

Lincoln Avenue
Victoria Barracks was a military base in 1941 and sustained damage during the Luftwaffe attacks. Nearby streets throughout the New Lodge area suffered. Air Raid Precautions Warden Jimmy Doherty from Lincoln Avenue tells his story in ‘Post 381 – Memoirs of a Belfast Air Raid Warden. Take the Translink Metro 1A along the Antrim Road and disembark at Lincoln Avenue.

Atlantic Avenue
The junction of Atlantic Avenue and Ponsonby Avenue was the scene of one of the greatest tragedies during the Belfast Blitz. Where the shops now stand was a public air raid shelter in April 1941. It took a direct hit from a Luftwaffe bomb killing many of those who sheltered inside. Take the Translink Metro 1A along the Antrim Road and disembark at Eia Street.

Burke Street
You will not find Burke Street or the adjoining Annadale Street on a modern map of Belfast. Burke Street began at 101 Antrim Road but during the Luftwaffe raids of April and May 1941, bombs destroyed all 20 houses. There were no survivors. Mary Jane Brown was the oldest victim of the bombing aged 91 years old. Take the Translink Metro 1A along the Antrim Road and disembark at Kansas Avenue.

Do you know of any more World War Two history along Belfast’s Metro 1A route? Get in touch and share your stories.

Belfast City Hall
Built in 1906, the Portland stone construction has stood through some turbulent times. One such event was The Easter Raid of the Belfast Blitz in 1941. You can also visit monuments dedicated to the US Army GIs in the hall’s gardens. Metro stops for many services are within a few minutes’ walk of the City Hall.

The Waterworks
Belfast’s waterworks in North Belfast suffered great damage in the Belfast Blitz of April and May 1941. A clear Luftwaffe target, direct strikes on the waterworks caused water pressure to drop across the city. Take the Translink Metro 1C along Antrim Road and disembark at Richmond Lane.

Limestone Road
Limestone Road runs through Belfast’s industrial heartland from Cavehill towards the docks. Many streets running off the main road disappeared during the Belfast Blitz. Nazi bombs sought to cripple Belfast’s heavy industry and mills. Take the Translink Metro 1C along the Antrim Road and disembark at Richmond Lane.

Belfast Zoo
On the slopes of Cavehill in North Belfast, Co. Antrim stands Belfast Zoo. Once the zoo was home to Shiela the Elephant. She famously stayed in the backyard of zookeeper Denise Austin for protection from falling Luftwaffe bombs. Take the Translink Metro 1C along the Antrim Road and disembark at Bellevue.

Cavehill
The familiar silhouette of Cavehill known as Napoleon’s Nose looks down over the city of Belfast. In 1944, an American B-17 Bomber crashed on the hillside killing 10 members of the crew. The story became the basis for Sir Richard Attenborough’s ‘Closing The Ring’. Take the Translink Metro 1C along the Antrim Road and disembark at Bellevue.

Do you know of any more World War Two history along Belfast’s Metro 1C route? Get in touch and share your stories.

Falls Road Baths
As Luftwaffe bombs fell on Belfast, medical facilities and mortuaries became overwhelmed. Authorities used the Falls Road Public Baths as a temporary morgue where unidentified bodies lay. Personal effects indicated whether casualties were Protestant or Catholic before mass burials. Take the Trankslink Metro 10A along the Falls Road and disembark at Clonard.

Clonard Monastery
During The Fire Raid of the Belfast Blitz, over 300 people sheltered in the crypt beneath Clonard Monastery. Father Tom Murphy strapped on a tin helmet and led in prayers and hymns for both Protestant and Catholic residents of nearby streets. A bomb blew open the monastery doors at street level. Take the Translink Metro 10A along the Falls Road and disembark at Clonard.

Belfast City Cemetery
A granite monument to the 154 unidentified victims of the Belfast Blitz stands in Belfast City Cemetery. Many other casualties of the raid have graves in the cemetery on the Falls Road. Each year, groups lay wreaths at the memorial to commemorate the almost 1,000 people who died in the Luftwaffe attacks. Take the Translink Metro 1A along the Falls Road and disembark at City Cemetery.

Milltown Cemetery
There are 30 unidentified casualties of the Luftwaffe attacks on Belfast buried in Milltown Cemetery. In April each year, groups lay wreaths at a restored Belfast Blitz Memorial. Many of those buried in this Falls Road cemetery were first in the Falls Road Public Baths awaiting identification. Take the Translink Metro 1A along the Falls Road and disembark at Milltown Cemetery.