Falls Road, Belfast

The Falls Road in West Belfast runs from Divis Street to Andersonstown. It was originally a country lane, which expanded greatly in the late 19th century.

Falls Road

Belfast

BT12 6BE

Northern Ireland

The Falls Road in West Belfast runs from Divis Street in the city centre to the suburbs of Andersonstown. The name comes from the Irish Túath na bhFál meaning the territory of the enclosures.

It is usually referred to as “The” Falls Road but was once known as The Pound. This predominantly Nationalist area runs along peace lines separating it from the Loyalist Shankill Road. The original road was once a country lane but it grew in the late 19th century as the city’s population expanded. Many of the small terraced streets took their names from characters and battles in the Crimean War.

Before the 1970s, the Falls Road in Belfast was less of an Irish Nationalist area than some other parts of Northern Ireland. It always maintained a strong working-class, socialist tradition. The area saw some of the worst of what became known as “The Troubles”.

During the Second World War, the road included many educational establishments and churches. The Protestant churches have now fallen away and building repurposed. Today, those interested in wartime history can visit the city’s main cemeteries at Belfast City Cemetery and Milltown Cemetery.

Falls Road in 1943

The following information is taken from the 1943 Belfast Street Directory.

Places of Interest

The following places will be of interest to anyone wishing to explore more of the road's World War Two heritage.

Map showing A.R.P. Post, 194 Falls Road, Belfast

A.R.P. Post, 194 Falls Road, Belfast

194 Falls Road, Belfast

The Red Devil Bar stands at 196-198 Falls Road, Belfast today but in 1943, part of the site at what was then No. 194 was in use as an A.R.P Post.

Map showing A.R.P. Post, 275 Falls Road, Belfast

A.R.P. Post, 275 Falls Road, Belfast

Belfast

The Falls Community Council stands at 275-277 Falls Road, Belfast today but in 1943, part of the site at what was then No. 275 was in use as an A.R.P Post.

Map showing A.R.P. Post and First Aid Point, Falls Road, Belfast

A.R.P. Post and First Aid Point, Falls Road, Belfast

537 Falls Road, Belfast

The Felons' Club stands at 537 Falls Road, Belfast today but in 1943, the site was that of the Old School House, an A.R.P Post and First Aid Point.

Map showing Belfast City Cemetery, Falls Road, Belfast

Belfast City Cemetery, Falls Road, Belfast

511 Falls Road, Belfast

Belfast City Cemetery on the Falls Road in West Belfast is the final resting place of many victims of the Second World War and the Belfast Blitz of 1941.

Map showing Falls Road Baths, Falls Road, Belfast

Falls Road Baths, Falls Road, Belfast

15-17 Falls Road, Belfast

On 16th April 1941, in the aftermath of the Belfast Blitz, volunteers worked through the day laying out the dead in the Falls Road Baths in West Belfast.

Map showing Milltown Cemetery, Falls Road, Belfast

Milltown Cemetery, Falls Road, Belfast

546 Falls Road, Belfast

Milltown Cemetery in West Belfast has become synonymous with Irish Nationalism and Republicanism but people from all walks of life are buried here.

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