7 Facts About Belfast Lough

1. Belfast Lough was given official status as a city in 1888, by which time it was the third most important port in the UK.

2. Belfast Lough was founded in 1177 when a castle in defense of a ford over the Lagan was built, but the present city is a product of the Industrial Revolution.

3. Belfast Lough is Northern Ireland's chief port, and there are ferry services to Liverpool in England, Stranraer in Scotland, and Douglas on the Isle of Man.

4. Since the conclusion of the peace accord, Belfast Lough has attracted considerable investment, and its economy has improved.

5. Belfast Lough was part of Lower Clandeboye and was held by the O'Neill-Clannaboys.

6. Port of Belfast Lough is Northern Ireland's principal maritime gateway, serving the Northern Ireland economy and increasingly that of the Republic of Ireland.

7. Belfast Lough is a large, intertidal sea inlet on the east coast of Northern Ireland.