Partnership welcomes new vantage point

The Partnership has welcomed the installation of a new state-of-the-art viewpoint at the foot of the Belfast Hills that could become a major tourist and walker attraction.

The Upper Springfield Road outlook is a 360 degree two-panelled map display of the hills that pinpoints the areas, landmarks and places of interest as the viewer sees it from bottom slopes of the Black Mountain, one panel looking out impressively across the city while the other takes in the panorama and history of the Black Mountain.

Young people from the west Belfast area created plaques that adorn the foot of the structures that includes local place names such as "the cooler" - the affectionate term for the old open air Falls Baths.

Places such as the Mountain Loney, the old flint works on the Black Mountain, Windy Gap and the Hatchet Field are all included in the stunning bi-lingual display.

Place names from the Irish language are incorporated with ancient locations and a host of places that document the rich industrial past in the Belfast Hills.

The stunning feature was unveiled on Tuesday May 6 by Paul Maskey, Belfast City Councillor, Deirdre Mackle of the Upper Springfield Development Trust and Terry Enright, a leading Belfast Hills Partnership board member.

Mr Enright said the installation of the Black Mountain viewpoint was the culmination of many years of "campaign and struggle" to protect the Black Mountain and promote its public sites.