City Centre

—1862 —

For almost 150 years, the Ulster Hall has brought spectacle and delight to the people of Belfast. It was built at a time when the city was attracting major artists and needed a bigger concert hall. The Ulster Hall Company was formed in 1859 to meet this need and the contract to build a new hall was won by a young architect from Newry, W.J. Barre.
When the Ulster Hall opened in 1862 it was intended as a multi-purpose venue and space was allowed for an organ. One was duly presented to the people of Belfast by a former Lord Mayor, Mr Andrew Mulholland, at a reputed cost of 3,000 guineas and built by William Hill. The Mulholland Grand Organ, as it is known, was rebuilt in 1903 and completely restored between 1976 - 78. It remains one of the oldest and finest examples of classical English organ-building being played today.
The Ulster Hall was sold to Belfast Corporation in 1902 and to celebrate the 'civic appointment' of the hall, Belfast Corporation commissioned a series of 13 paintings from J.W. Carey, one of Northern Ireland's best known artists. The Carey paintings, large scale canvases depicting scenes from Belfast's history, replaced the decorative plaster panels below the windows and alcoves at the rear of the auditorium, where they can still be seen.
Beside the main entrance to the Ulster Hall is the Group Theatre.



Originally the Minor Hall, it presents contemporary, international and Irish plays, with a particular emphasis on the humourous and light hearted and has a tradition of showcasing the cream of local talent on the professional stage.
The Ulster Hall is among Belfast's premier venues, catering for concerts ranging from rock gigs to organ recitals. Political rallies and debates are also held here and the hall is a popular venue for the world-renowned Ulster Orchestra.

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