Book Now Hope & Home by Paul Muldoon I was tempted by the idea of trying to write a new poem about Belfast for several reasons. The first is that, despite my not having lived here since 1986, I still feel very connected to the city. I came here first as a child in the 1950s, usually traveling by train via Portadown and usually returning with an animal — a rabbit, or a tortoise — bought in a pet store in the Smithfield Market. It seems odd now that I had to leave the country to acquire some wildlife, but it was perfectly natural at the time. My father was a market gardener, so I often came with him in the very early morning to St George’s Market, where he sold cauliflowers off the back of a lorry. That was in the early 1960s. In 1969, I came to Queen’s as a student, just as things were hotting up on the streets. On July 21, 1972, a date that would become known as Bloody Friday, Smithfield Bus Station was bombed. Smithfield Market was destroyed by incendiary bombs in 1974. By that stage I was at the BBC, where I worked as a radio and television producer between 1973 and 1986. I spent several of those years in an office in Windsor House. Completed in 1974, Windsor House was known as the tallest office building in Ireland. It is now known as the Grand Central Hotel. Having long been an admirer of the Hastings family and their profound sense of civic responsibility, I am delighted to offer this poem in the spirit of hope, and the idea of home, they so wonderfully embody. Download the Poem Grand Central Hotel, 9-15 Bedford Street, Belfast BT2 7FF. Tel: +44 (0) 28 9023 1066 E:res@gch.hastingshotels.com Registered No: NI008164 Posts Page Crown Magazine Blog FAQ Sign up to Offers Contact Links Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Covid-19 Update By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies.Close

Book Now Welcome Welcome to the Grand Central Hotel in Belfast Hastings Grand Central is more than a hotel. It’s an ode to a city. Standing tall in Bedford Street, this impressive jewel fuses glamour and grandeur with a uniquely Belfast spirit. Perfectly placed in Belfast City. Just as Belfast is at the heart of the Grand Central, the Grand Central is at the heart of Belfast. Set in the up and coming Linen Quarter, the hotel is a spectacular hub for exploring Titanic Quarter’s history or Cathedral Quarter’s charming cobbled streets, pubs and eateries. Theatre buffs, shopaholics and historians alike will all be spoiled for choice, with a host of options right on their doorstep. Conveniently located for all transport access, the Grand Central is perfectly placed for every city centre endeavour – from business to leisure and everything in between. View our Brochure Have a Giant Stay at the Grand Central Explore Our Hotel Grand Central Hotel, 9-15 Bedford Street, Belfast BT2 7FF. Tel: +44 (0) 28 9023 1066 E:res@gch.hastingshotels.com Registered No: NI008164 Posts Page Crown Magazine Blog FAQ Sign up to Offers Contact Links Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Covid-19 Update By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies.Close