Possible sights

Ormeau Park:

It's features includes a bandstand, basketball/netball, playing fields, bowling greens and pavilions, car parking, an ecotrail, horticultural displays, orienteering course, playgrounds, seasonal bedding, specimen trees, soccer, tennis and walks. It was Belfast`s first public park, having opened its doors in 1871. It is still one of the largest parks in Belfast and offers a mixture of horticulture, woodland, wildlife and sporting facilities. In this huge space were space is not an issue, numbers of people is not either. It is a great meeting place and one, of which, you really feel like your our of the city. All areas are wheel chair accessible.
The demesne at Ormeau was the home of the Donegall family. The second Marquis moved there in 1807 and extended Ormeau House to accommodate his large household. The estate was sold in the 1860s to Belfast Corporation to pay off family debts due to gambling! Subsequently, the land was opened in 1871 as Ormeau Park and remains so today.

Shaftesbury Area:

Shaftesbury Recreation Centre, which runs next to the river Lagan, has great facilities and is managed by the LORAG (Lower Ormeau residents Action Group). It is available for a range of activities: football, basketball, badminton, dance classes, martial arts, keep fit classes, exercises and boccia. There can facilitate up to 500 seated people, equiped with conference, seminars, meetings rooms and an IT suite. The surrounding housing estate has been given a face lift provided by the Re-imagining programme.

Gasworks:

Continuing down my walk along the river Lagan, next was the Gasworks. The gasworks is a prime business location which includes Halifax, the Radison SAS Hotel. In it's day it produced heat and light for all of Belfast. Due to the high costs associated with gas production and th ereduction in demand the site closed in 1988, becoming vacant and derelict. Belfast City Council partnered up with the Gasworks to produce this corporation development which includes a high quality public realm, vehicle, pedestrian and cycle paths, significant works of art by local artists. Mike Hogg's 'Bottle Top' is shown in image.
The development restored the Clock Tower in 2002, sending out the message that time no longer stands still!

Further Playgrounds in Belfast:

• Balfour Avenue Playground, Balfour Avenue, Ormeau Road, BT7 2EW
• Barnetts Playground, Barnetts Demesne, Shaw’s Bridge Car Park, BT9 5PB
• Blythefield Playground, Blythe Street, Sandy Row, BT12 5HW
• Botanic Playground, Botanic Gardens, Stranmillis Embankment, BT7 1PN
• Carnanmore Playground, Carnanmore Park, Blacks Road, BT11 9LY
• Drumglass Playground, Drumglass/Cranmore Park, Lisburn Road, BT9 6JF
• Dunville Playground, Dunville Park, Dunville Street, BT12 4NF
• Falls Playground, Falls Park, Falls Road, BT12 6AN
• Geeragh Playground, Finaghy Community Centre, Geeragh Place, BT10 0ER
• Glassmullin Playground, Slievegallion Drive, Andersonstown Road, BT11 8JP
• Horn Drive Playground, Lenadoon Walk, Lenadoon Avenue, BT11 9GU
• Lemberg Street Playground, Lemberg Street, Roden Street, BT12 5QB
• McClure Street Playground,McClure Street, BT7 1FX
• Moyard Playground, Moyard Crescent, New Barnsley Park, BT12 7HJ
• Northlink Playground, Northlink Playing Fields, BT11 8HW
• Olympia Playground, Olympia Leisure Centre, Boucher Road, BT12 6NT
• Rev. Robert Bradford Playground, Howard Street South, Donegall Pass, BT7 1AX
• Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Playground, Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park, Upper Malone Road, BT17 9LA
• Springhill Playground, Springhill Crescent, Springhill Avenue, Whiterock Road, BT12 7QJ
• Taughmonagh Playground, Malton Drive, Malone Road, BT9 6QF
• Wedderburn Playground, Wedderburn Playing Fields, Orpen Park, BT10 0BN