15 minute read
FOCUS ON: ORMEAU ROAD
FOCUS ON
The Ormeau Road
Representatives from Ormeau Road Business Association pictured with Glyn Roberts, Retail NI CEO; Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey MLA; Gary McDonald, Irish News Business Editor and Aisling Press, Managing Director of Personal Banking at Danske Bank.
Photographs of the Ormeau Parklet partners, at the launch of the trial project today, (L-R, Shane Quinn, Development Director for Belfast Buildings Trust, Nichola Mallon MLA, Minister for Infrastructure, Fearghal Murray, Partner at MMAS Architects, Professor Ian Greer, Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast, Cllr. Christina Black, Chair of Belfast City Council’s Strategic Policy & Resources Committee, Chris Upson, Partner at OGU Architects.)
South Belfast’s bustling Ormeau Road has won the ‘High Street of the Year’ award in Retail NI’s High Street Heroes campaign. With its vast array of independent retail shops, restaurants and cafes, there is something for everyone on the Ormeau road! The new ‘parklet’ has converted on-street parking into public green space. The first of its kind in Northern Ireland, the Ormeau parklet is a stepping stone for redesigning problematic spaces. And if it’s not enough greenery for you, Ormeau Park, the city’s oldest municipal park is a great open space ideal for walks, sport, relaxing in the sun and keeping the children entertained with the play area. The park is home to the Ormeau Golf Club and also boasts football pitches along with tennis and basketball courts.
ORMEAU ROAD SPECIAL FOCUS HOMEWARE RETAILER OF THE YEAR
The doors are open at Neptune Belfast, Ormeau Road, which most recently was awarded High Street of the year. The now showroom was once home of the ‘Ormo Bakery’, just opposite of the Ormeau Park.
Neptune Belfast, as awarded the silver Homeware Retailer of the Year voted by the Irish News/Retail NI Initiative, welcomes you to call round and visit their showroom to view their kitchen and home displays.
Step into their showroom to schedule a consultation with their interior or kitchen designers. Curate a fl oral arrangement with a home retail stylist, pick out your next paint colour or simply have a nosey at their collections of home décor accessories.
Why I Love Ormeau Road
Ulster Tatler speaks to Michael Goggin of Michel’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetables.
How long have you been on the Ormeau Road?
I opened on the Ormeau road 23rd November 1999.
What do you like most about the Ormeau Road?
I like the eclectic cosmopolitan feel of the road and the vibrancy that mixed nationalities bring to the road.
Does it have any hidden gems?
The engaging mix of places like The Hallows Art Gallery alongside sporting outlets, coffee shops, food outlets like Michel’s and upmarket furniture stores like Neptune plus the local ‘waterholes’ with their own unique character make the road special.
How did it feel to be one of the retailers on the ‘Highstreet of the Year’?
The ‘Highstreet of the year’ has helped to raise the profile of road and allow business to be proud of who and where we are!
Fresh locally sourced fruit and vegetables for you to choose
Open Monday - Saturday 8am - 6pm
435 ORMEAU ROAD BELFAST BT7 3GQ
Hannah Gibson and Ngozi Anyadike-Dawes.
Blåithín Jones, Phil Mhic Philbín, Rose Monks and Blue the dog.
OUT AND ABOUT ON THE ORMEAU ROAD
Natasha McNicholl with Skye.
Why I Love Ormeau Road
Ulster Tatler speaks to photographer, Michael Lowther
How long have you lived on the Ormeau Road?
I’ve lived on Ormeau for the past 15 months.
What do you like most about the Ormeau Road?
It’s convenient to the park to exercise and walk with a coffee.
Does it have any hidden gems?
Yes there are some amazing charity shops.
Where do you like to dine and socialise on the Ormeau Road?
There are so many options on Ormeau Road! I enjoy heading to Banjo Bakery, Cafe Nero, Canteen, Al Gelato and General Merchants.
ORMEAU BORN AND BRED
David Holmes is a producer, musician and composer. Some of his famous works include the music for the Ocean’s Trilogy, Killing Eve and Belfast based series The Fall.
John Boyd Dunlop
developed and tested the first practical pneumatic (inflatable) tyre in Cherryvale Sports Ground in October 1887 and a patent was granted on 7 December 1888.
James Young (better known as Jimmy Young) was a Northern Irish actor and comedian who grew up at 26 Fernwood Street, off the Ormeau Road. His comedy records sold over a quarter of a million copies and his one man show gained a listing in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest running in the world.
Tom Paulin is is a Northern Irish poet and critic of film, music and literature most widely known in Britain for his appearances on the late-night BBC arts programmes The Late Show, Late Review and Newsnight Review. He was raised on North Parade, just off the Ormeau Road.
STRONGER TOGETHER
The Ormeau Business Association officially constituted in May of this year but work to bring the organisation together had been underway since September 2020. In formation we have received help from Lisa Toland, Senior Manager of Economy at Belfast City council and guidance from Glyn Roberts at Retail NI.
The group is made up of 9 committee members, all of whom operate businesses in the Ormeau area. Ormeau Business Association was established to promote and develop the interests of all businesses within the area. The Association’s aims include: • Promote the Area through promotions and destination marketing campaigns; • Lobby the interests of businesses in the Area to government bodies & other interested parties; • Exchange ideas, experiences and identify opportunities; • Contribute to making the Area a vibrant, successful and safe area; • Identify and implement practical projects that enhance the local environment and neighbourhood in the Area.
With the help of Lara Goodall Consulting, we have engaged the immediate business community and conducted a needs analysis of the local businesses. This is being used to informed the design of a Strategic Action Plan that will be used to apply for support to help the area with the recovery and drive footfall. Our key areas of focus will be: • Increasing footfall & customer spend in the area • Improving parking in the area • Building awareness of the Ormeau Road area as a key destination in the City’s offering • Encouraging regeneration & overall appearance of the area • Increasing awareness of the offering in the area amongst the local market
Neil Anderson, Aisling Brady, Clare Murray, Anne Graham and Gerard Murray.
Best Mortgage Advisory Firm 2019 - Northern Ireland & Most Infl uential Woman in Finance (Northern Ireland): Clare Murray
Since starting in 2010, Mortgage Solutions has gained a reputation for providing the highest quality mortgage advice in Northern Ireland thanks to Founder Clare Murray. Clare and her team at Mortgage Solutions excel in giving their clients the help and support that they need during the tough times, acting as partners who can be trusted to give advice that is in their customer’s best interests
For those who are vulnerable and have been struggling or stressed about their fi nances, Clare off ers a service to provide advice or negotiate new terms with the bank. She also works with the Simon Community to give people support if they are concerned about losing their homes. Having been made redundant during the recession, Clare is able to use that knowledge and experience to help others recover from diffi cult chapters in their own lives.
Clare’s ability to lead from the front has allowed Mortgage Solutions to transform from an entirely new company to one of the top fi ve industries in Northern Ireland in less than a decade. Clare’s strong team has developed an excellent work ethic that embraces change which is especially important thanks to the currently volatile nature of politics, which will drive alterations to legislation and tax in unpredictable ways.
459 Ormeau Rd, Ormeau, Belfast BT7 3GQ 028 9064 2000 w: mortgagesolutionsbelfast.com E: clare.murray@mortgagesolutionsni.com
We are an Award Winning family run Florist & Plant store situated on Belfast’s Ormeau Road. We stock a seasonal range of fresh fl owers and foliage, creating bespoke bouquets and fl oral creations for all life’s occasions.
As Northern Ireland’s leading indoor plant store we boast a wide variety of rare and unique plants from around the world, complemented by our beautiful collection of pottery, terrariums and botanical accessories. We host regular fl oristry and plant based workshops in our 3000 square foot Creative Hub in East Belfast.
We hand deliver our beautiful Flowers, Plants & Gifts across the greater Belfast and surrounding area’s. We also ship our plants, pottery & giftware across all of Ireland.
Enjoy 10% off your next order with code ‘TATLER10’
Memento Belfast, 230 Ormeau Road, Belfast, BT7 2FZ Tel: 02895430330 info@mementofl oraldesign.com @MementoBelfast
FIFTY YEARS OF BREDAGH GAC
In 1971, 50 Years ago a group of local enthusiasts met to discuss the formation of a GAA new club in south Belfast. This was during a turbulent time in Belfast’s history. What these men had was guts and determination and the will to succeed and succeed they did.
It is thanks of these forward-thinking Gaels, Bredagh have grown into one of the largest GAA clubs in both County Down and the province of Ulster with over 1,400 members and 30+ playing teams. From what was originally a male football club Bredagh now fi eld teams across all age groups in all 4 GAA playing codes – ladies & men’s football along with Camogie & Hurling.
Sadly, most of those who founded the club are no longer alive. The club will remember them always and no better way to acknowledge their efforts and foresight than to make their 50th year a special one. They have organised a number of efforts to date - launched a Bredagh GAC retro logo and jersey, 5k Fun Run in aid of Marie Curie raising over £9k and a 50th memorabilia exhibition - “50 Years of Bredagh GAC” which many of their past and present players visited to take trip down memory lane. They have also have planned a Golf Day, Down GAA matches in Cherryvale their home pitch and an Anniversary Gala Dinner in November.
L- R: Ciarán O’Keefe, Stephen Brown, Thomas White and Nicky McCafferty.
Lord Mayor Councillor Kate Nicholl visits the 50 years of Bredagh GAC exhibition, also pictured are Malcolm MacFarlane, and Ciarán O’Keefe.
Olivia Litter and Shane Smyth.
Jennifer Stewart from Bread & Banjo bakery.
OUT AND ABOUT ON THE ORMEAU ROAD
Linzi Watts with children Lucas and Luna from Newtownabbey enjoying a day out to enjoy south Belfast before going back to school.
ASPECTS FESTIVAL RETURNS FOR IT’S 30TH ANNIVERSARY
OPEN HERITAGE BELFAST: EXPLORING BELFAST’S PARKS & GARDENS
Aspects Festival is back in person, celebrating 30 years of the endless talent from across Ireland, running from 24 September – 3 October.
The Festival opens with Bangor’s own Colin Bateman who will be reading from his new memoir, Thunder and Lightning for the very first time. Expect dry humour, honesty and colourful insight into days of the ‘60s and ‘70s, the era before Colin’s career as an acclaimed writer of crime novels, children’s books and screenplays.
They are thrilled to welcome back Fergal Keane to the Festival on Saturday 2 October. Fergal will be in conversation with William Crawley, as he talks about his writing, his career and life journey.
Actor and musician, Richard Clements will perform a rehearsed reading about his grandfather’s war years titled, How to Bury a Dead Mule. This will be the first live performance from work which began as an audio project and will undoubtedly continue its journey towards a full theatre production.
The Festival takes advantage of the outstanding locations to be found in Ards and North Down by offering a series of outdoor workshops and creative experiences.
For the aspiring writer, experienced author Bernie McGill will facilitate a writing workshop amongst the beauty of Castle Park and Bangor Castle Walled Garden.
For those who love something a little different, we have a unique poetry and paddle-boarding event offering a rare chance to get creative while enjoying a beautiful perspective of Bangor from Belfast Lough.
At Clandeboye Estate, author, historic horticulturalist and painter, Eoin Lane will lead a walk through the estate and read from his book, Beyond the Horizon. With the stunning backdrop of Clandeboye, surrounded by the dazzling display of autumn in nature, this promises to be a wonderful immersive experience.
There will be a virtual event between the acclaimed poet Sinead Morrissey and American poet Tess Taylor, who will reconnect once again to read from their collections, discuss our cultural similarities, our differences and how the arts can help to heal. This is a free event.
Evelyn Conlon and Éilís Ní Dhuibhne will discuss and read from their most recent highly acclaimed short story publications, Moving About The Place (2021) and Little Red and Other Stories (2020).
Festival Director, Patricia Hamilton is delighted to be back, “We are looking forward to celebrating Aspects in its 30th year and to bring people together to enjoy lively discussion, new perspectives and to soak up the intimate atmosphere the Festival is renowned for.”
Information and tickets are available at aspectsfestival.com
Image Captions: Richard Clements and his grandfather Short Story publications by Evelyn Conlon and Éilís Ní Dhuibhne Colin Bateman
Ulster Architectural Heritage are delighted to announce that they will be working in partnership with Belfast City Council to deliver Open Heritage Belfast. Discover the fascinating story behind Belfast’s parks and gardens through a series of FREE in-person and online events from Saturday 11th & Sunday 12th September.
Open Heritage Belfast celebrates Belfast’s historic buildings and places with free public events across the city. During COVID-19, we have all had the opportunity to look at our local parks and gardens with fresh eyes. Having access to outdoor spaces where we could meet safely with friends or family, exercise or just have a change of scene, never felt so important.
This year, Ulster Architectural Heritage will be exploring Belfast’s parks and gardens, and will be offering free walking tours of the Waterworks and Botanic Gardens. Additionally they will be offering drawing and photography workshops; and they will also be producing an online tour of the Waterworks, Botanic Gardens, Falls Park and Victoria Park.
These tours will help you to discover the history behind these green spaces, and allow you to look at them in a new way. Learn about the lost pleasure gardens at Queen’s Island, or ostriches at Ormeau Park. Find out more about the Tropical Ravine and the Palm House, swimming at Falls Park or the Waterworks’ and the Belfast Blitz.
A booklet exploring more of Belfast’s historic green spaces will also be available to pick up free of charge from selected EHOD sites and Belfast City Hall.
Booking for tours and workshops is essential. Find out more and book: www.ulsterarchitecturalheritage.org.uk/ events
Pictured are: Councillor Kate Nicholl, Lord Mayor of Belfast and Nikki McVeigh, Chief Executive of Ulster Architectural Heritage.
North Coast Artist Evana Bjourson
The work of Portrush based artist Evana Bjourson incorporates human interaction, seascapes and coastal experiences observed through the lens of transience. Evana’s figurative work reflects thoughts on the reason for and role of humanity while her dynamic wave paintings take inspiration from life on the North Coast. It is these large scale wave studies that truly demonstrate her love for framing and enhancing the organic. Her most recent work, developed over the summer, has focused on capturing cherished buildings and land forms in Portrush and Portstewart, those spaces in which memories are made. Light sources are often central features in the work and a limited palette tends to be used, drawing out predominant, dramatised colours in a scene. Evana completed her undergraduate studies in Architecture at Queen’s University Belfast and subsequently achieved a Masters in Architecture at Ulster University’s Belfast School of Art. Evana Bjourson originals and limited edition prints can be viewed at Margey & Bjourson Art Studio & Gallery Portrush and on www.evanabjoursonart.com. Telephone 07746208381 for more information.
‘View from Arcadia’ Artist Evana Bjourson ‘Sunrise Atlantic Eye’
PRETTY ‘N’ PINK
On 27th July 2021, Grace McGoldrick, 11, had her beautiful long hair cut by Caitlin’s Hairdressers, Glen Road, Belfast to donate to the Little Princess Trust, a charity which provides free real hair wigs to those who have lost their own due to cancer treatment or other conditions.
Grace’s parents Stephen McGoldrick and Angela McGoldrick, who reside in Portrush, are friends of Gemma Cunningham. Gemma was an ambassador and amazing friend to those at breast cancer charity Pretty ‘n’ Pink but sadly passed away in January of this year.
As well as growing her hair over the last number of months, Grace wanted to raise money for the Charity.
Grace had set a target of £300 on her Just Giving page and raised £831.25.
Pretty ‘n’ Pink is NI’s only registered Breast Cancer Charity and supported Gemma throughout her own diagnosis. Grace and her family were aware of the support given and wanted to give back to Pretty ‘n’ Pink.
Pretty ‘n’ Pink provides financial and other support services to women and men with a breast cancer diagnosis.
