Shankill Road - Stop 16 & 17

The Shankill Road is a well known predominantly Loyalist & Unionist area, that gained worldwide attention & press coverage during the Troubles.

'The Shankill' as it's locally known, is instantly recognisable when traveling out of town, or through the Belfast peace walls from the Falls Road. With red, white, & blue bunting, Union Flags and Loyalist murals almost everywhere you look.

It is unquestionably one of the most well known roads in Belfast, with stunning murals in honour of the Royal Family & local history adjouring many of the roads walls.

Quick Shankill Road Facts

Early History - The word 'Shankill' comes from the Irish word - Seanchille, which means 'old church'. 'Bóthar na Seanchille' the road of the old church.

At the turn of 5th century, a church named after Irelands most famous saint, St. Patrick stood here. The area became a pilgrimage site and quickly became known as 'the road of the old church' - Seanchille.



In the 19th century, the booming linen industry in West Belfast and around Bedford Street Linen Quarter resulted in massive population growth for both the Shankill Road and Falls Road areas.

You can still see its influence branched off onto the smaller streets, with numerous streets being named after the country Belgium, which was the main source of flax supplies for the linen mills.



The success of the linen industry was city-wide and not just confined to the Shankill area. The neighbouring Falls Road also benefited from the booming industry and transformed into a heavily populated area.

*Another big employer for those living in the Shankill was the famous Harland and Wolff shipyard.



However, by the mid-20th century, both the linen and shipbuilding industries had declined resulting in unemployment and rising tensions between the Catholic community of the Falls and Protestant community of the Shankill.

The Shankill & The Troubles

The Early Days - It wasn't until the 1960s that tensions escalated and The Troubles began, introducing this area of Belfast to the rest of the world and gaining the notoriety it still has today.

During this time, tit for tat attacks and rioting broke out between the tight terraced housed streets ajoining both the Shankill & Falls Roads. The British Army were called in to quell the trouble and erected the peace walls which we still have in place today.



With vigilantism taking place and each side getting organised into paramiltary groups, the peace walls were the best solution for keeping both sides apart. This set the tone for the next 30 years, this era is often refered to as The Troubles.

Shankill Road Bomb 1993

Frizzell's fish and chip shop was the scene of one of the worst atrocities of The Troubles, on Saturday the 23rd of October 1993 2 IRA men entered the chip shop at 271 Shankill road carrying a bag with explosives inside.

Above the chip shop was an office used by 'LPA' Loyalist Prisoners Association, and it was also widely believed to be the Shankill UDA's headquarters. The West Belfast brigades UDA Inner Council also met here regularly on Saturdays.

The IRA wanted to wipe out the local UDA leadership, however the bomb exploded prematurely killing one of the bombers and 9 innocent people, 2 of them children.

How To Visit Safely

One of the best things to do in Belfast is a hop on hop off tour. Today, tourists from all around the world explore The Shankill Road area & the murals.

The tour is fully guided and travels past all the main points of interest, in addition the Belfast open top bus tour will travel through the peacewall and onto the Falls Road for a balanced and immersive experience.

Points Of Interest

Frequently Asked Questions