Ormeau Park
Encyclopedia
Ormeau Park is the oldest municipal park in Belfast
, Northern Ireland
, having been officially opened to the public in 1871. It is owned and run by Belfast City Council
and is one of the largest and busiest parks in the city and contains a variety of horticulture, woodland, wildlife and sporting facilities.
The park is open daily from dawn to dusk. It features a bandstand
, basketball
, netball
, football and tennis
facilities, bowling greens, pavilions, car parking, cycling (and BMX
track), ecotrails, horticultural displays, an orienteering
course, a playground, seasonal bedding, specimen trees, and multiple walks. The park opens on to the Ormeau Road
, the Ormeau Embankment, Park Road, and the Ravenhill Road. Access to Belfast
city centre is available on Metro
bus routes 7A - 7D.
, who lived there until his death in 1844. Eventually the family was forced to sell the estate to pay its spiralling debt. In 1869, the area was purchased by Belfast Corporation and it was opened as a park to the public in 1871. The opening of Belfast's first public park was marked with a parade from Carlisle Circus through Belfast which attracted a large crowd and finished with speeches in the park.
The park was designed by Timothy Hevey, a successful young architect of the day. He won a competition for the best design for 100 acre (0.404686 km²) of parkland. The present-day park still roughly follows his design with several alterations. Some of the land is home to the 9-hole course of Ormeau Golf Club
, and other nearby land near Ravenhill was laid out in playing fields. The embankment road cut off the river frontage of the park in the 1920s.
as a site for a new Northern Ireland stadium. A consortium advocating Ormeau Park as the best venue has completed a feasibility study. It is still in the discussion stage with Belfast City Council
. The debate continues as the Government insists that the Maze is the only possible location for a new multi-sport stadium. The proposed City of Belfast Stadium would initially accommodate a capacity of 25,000 seats with the option to extend to 35,000 seats as required. The plans say that the site would not occupy any of the park land currently used by the local community but that the new stadium would replace and occupy the site currently housing the Ozone leisure facility.As Of Now There Is a family that live in ormeau park in the famous, victorian house.
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, having been officially opened to the public in 1871. It is owned and run by Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council is the local authority with responsibility for the city of Belfast, the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. The Council serves an estimated population of , the largest of any district council in Northern Ireland, while also being the fourth smallest by area...
and is one of the largest and busiest parks in the city and contains a variety of horticulture, woodland, wildlife and sporting facilities.
The park is open daily from dawn to dusk. It features a bandstand
Bandstand
A bandstand is a circular or semicircular structure set in a park, garden, pier, or indoor space, designed to accommodate musical bands performing concerts...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
, football and tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
facilities, bowling greens, pavilions, car parking, cycling (and BMX
Bicycle motocross
Bicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
track), ecotrails, horticultural displays, an orienteering
Orienteering
Orienteering is a family of sports that requires navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain, and normally moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they...
course, a playground, seasonal bedding, specimen trees, and multiple walks. The park opens on to the Ormeau Road
Ormeau Road
The Ormeau Road is a road in south Belfast, Northern Ireland. Ormeau Park is adjacent to it. It forms part of the A24.-History:Having previously been the home of George Chichester, 2nd Marquess of Donegall, a road was first built in 1815, when it was known more commonly as the New Ballynafeigh Road...
, the Ormeau Embankment, Park Road, and the Ravenhill Road. Access to Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
city centre is available on Metro
Metro (Belfast)
Metro is the trading name for bus company Citybus in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is a subsidiary of the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company, within the common management structure of Translink, along with Ulsterbus and Northern Ireland Railways....
bus routes 7A - 7D.
History
The land for Ormeau Park was formerly part of the Donegall family estate. It became their home in 1807, when the family moved to Ormeau Cottage from their town house in Donegall Place. The building was extended by George Chichester, 2nd Marquess of DonegallGeorge Chichester, 2nd Marquess of Donegall
George Augustus Chichester, 2nd Marquess of Donegall, KP, PC , styled Viscount Chichester until 1799, was an Irish nobleman and politician....
, who lived there until his death in 1844. Eventually the family was forced to sell the estate to pay its spiralling debt. In 1869, the area was purchased by Belfast Corporation and it was opened as a park to the public in 1871. The opening of Belfast's first public park was marked with a parade from Carlisle Circus through Belfast which attracted a large crowd and finished with speeches in the park.
The park was designed by Timothy Hevey, a successful young architect of the day. He won a competition for the best design for 100 acre (0.404686 km²) of parkland. The present-day park still roughly follows his design with several alterations. Some of the land is home to the 9-hole course of Ormeau Golf Club
Ormeau Golf Club
The Ormeau Golf Club is located on Park Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is a nine-hole course with an eighteen-hole par of 68.The golf club describes itself as "the Course in the heart of the city" as it is just a mile from Belfast city centre. It was formed in 1893 and is one of the oldest...
, and other nearby land near Ravenhill was laid out in playing fields. The embankment road cut off the river frontage of the park in the 1920s.
Future plans
Along with the old Maysfield Leisure Centre site, the Ormeau Park site is one of two sites that have emerged in recent months as alternatives to the MazeMaze (HM Prison)
Her Majesty's Prison Maze was a prison in Northern Ireland that was used to house paramilitary prisoners during the Troubles from mid-1971 to mid-2000....
as a site for a new Northern Ireland stadium. A consortium advocating Ormeau Park as the best venue has completed a feasibility study. It is still in the discussion stage with Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council is the local authority with responsibility for the city of Belfast, the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. The Council serves an estimated population of , the largest of any district council in Northern Ireland, while also being the fourth smallest by area...
. The debate continues as the Government insists that the Maze is the only possible location for a new multi-sport stadium. The proposed City of Belfast Stadium would initially accommodate a capacity of 25,000 seats with the option to extend to 35,000 seats as required. The plans say that the site would not occupy any of the park land currently used by the local community but that the new stadium would replace and occupy the site currently housing the Ozone leisure facility.As Of Now There Is a family that live in ormeau park in the famous, victorian house.