BELFAST CITY TOUR FIELD GUIDE
1798 — Walking Belfast’s Georgian Streets Where Rebellion Began
A focused 2.5‑hour city-center walk that traces the origins of the United Irishmen and the 1798 Rebellion, useful as a concentrated primer on Belfast’s Georgian-era sites and civic memory.
1798 — Walking Belfast’s Georgian Streets Where Rebellion Began.
Over two and a half hours the 1798 – A Belfast Rebellion walking tour moves through the heart of Georgian Belfast, beginning and ending at the gates of City Hall, and unfolds the story of the United Irishmen, the 1798 Rebellion and the individuals who imagined a different, more equal future for the city.
Highlights
Outing Highlights
Linen Hall Library & the Arrest of Thomas Russell
Visit the Linen Hall Library, the site tied to the Society for Promoting Knowledge and the place where United Irishman Thomas Russell was arrested in 1796 — a tangible link to the civic and cultural currents that fed the Rebellion.
St Mary’s Church and Presbyterian Solidarity
See St Mary’s Church, Belfast’s first Roman Catholic church (opened May 1784), and learn how largely Presbyterian volunteer guards and the town’s dissenting traditions shaped alliances across faiths.
Court Martial, High Street and Georgians on the Street
Trace the route to the Exchange and Assembly Rooms—where Henry Joy McCracken was court‑martialed—and the High Street site of his execution, alongside lesser‑seen Georgian architecture and civic spaces that set the scene for 1798.
What the day feels like
What the walk feels like
This is a compact, interpretive urban walk through under‑appreciated Georgian streets: a guided, headset‑assisted tour that layers stories of commerce, dissent and democratic aspiration onto sites from the linen trade and the meeting houses to the charged civic spaces of the 1798 moment.
THE HISTORY
Linen Hall Library & the Arrest of Thomas Russell
Visit the Linen Hall Library, the site tied to the Society for Promoting Knowledge and the place where United Irishman Thomas Russell was arrested in 1796 — a tangible link to the civic and cultural currents that fed the Rebellion.
THE SITES
St Mary’s Church and Presbyterian Solidarity
See St Mary’s Church, Belfast’s first Roman Catholic church (opened May 1784), and learn how largely Presbyterian volunteer guards and the town’s dissenting traditions shaped alliances across faiths.
THE ROUTE
Court Martial, High Street and Georgians on the Street
Trace the route to the Exchange and Assembly Rooms—where Henry Joy McCracken was court‑martialed—and the High Street site of his execution, alongside lesser‑seen Georgian architecture and civic spaces that set the scene for 1798.
Suitability
Who it's for
Who this walk suits—and who should consider alternatives.
Practical planner
Details to review before reserving
Weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable footwear are recommended.
Review cancellation policies before reserving.
Frequently asked questions
Planning Your Outing
How long is the tour?
The tour lasts 2.5 hours.
Where do we meet?
The tour meets at the front gates of Belfast City Hall on Donegall Square North.
Is the tour suitable for children?
The operator recommends participants be aged 12 and over.
How much walking is involved?
The route is less than two miles and completely flat, covering city‑centre streets over the 2.5‑hour itinerary.
Do you provide audio equipment?
The tour uses Vox headsets so participants will be able to hear the guide clearly.
What should I wear?
Bring weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable footwear.