Stormont Belfast
Stormont is known as a residential and commercial area of Belfast. It is better known of being the home to Stormont Castle, originally a family home, which is now Northern Ireland’s Parliament buildings which includes the seats of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Northern Ireland Executive. Today the parliament buildings are simply known as Stormont and are an exceedingly important part in Northern Ireland Politics.
After the 1920 Government of Ireland Act occurred, when Northern Ireland was created, it was decided that a Parliament building was to be created. And so the building of Stormont began. It was finally opened in 1932 by the Prince of Wales, being structured in classical Greek Style and with Portland Stone and granite from the Mourne Mountains. Situated at the top of the mile long, Prince of Wales Avenue, it is an impressive and domineering building which bears similarities with that of the White House in Washington D.C. There are a number of attractions within the Stormont grounds which are popular with visitors including the option to take a stroll along the tree lined Prince Of Wales Avenue, viewing the statue of Lord Carson, and even a children’s playground. Lord Craigavon’s tomb can be found on the east of the Stormont Estate, and to the right of the parliament building. Craigavon is a significant figure in the history of Stormont as he was the first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and carried the title until his death in 1940. Although the Parliament Buildings are not usually opened to the public, pre arranged guided tours through local MLA’s will take you inside the main building and a visit to the Great Hall is a must as it was completely constructed by Italian craftsmen and built mainly with beautiful Italian Travertine marble and includes an impressive bronze statue of Lord Craigavon. With the guided tour, visitors may also be shown the two chambers within the building, the House of Commons and the Senate Chamber and view more of the exquisite décor that makes up Northern Irelands Parliament Building.
Stormont is a popular tourist destination and visitors can find regular tour buses leaving from Belfast City centre up to the site. With interesting history, walks and children’s play area, Stormont will interest all members of the family and of all ages. It is definitely a must visit place for not only Belfast tourists but also visitors to the North of Ireland in general.