Falls Road, Belfast

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.