Select Image To Visit The Photo Gallery: Street Art At Lower Granville Street

Photographed By William Murphy - Select Image To View Photographs

___

PHOTOGRAPHED IN DECEMBER 2025

___

Lower Granville Street, tucked away in the Smithfield and Union Quarter of Belfast city centre, is one of those curious urban pockets where time seems to have frozen—specifically in the late 20th century. While much of the city has undergone a glossy "Titanic Quarter" style transformation, this particular stretch remains a gritty reminder of Belfast’s industrial and social past.

Note: Granville Street was situated in the lower Falls area, specifically accessed off the Falls Road/Divis Street area. Lower Garfield Street (formerly Bell's Lane), is in the Smithfield/North Street vicinity.

What Was There Before?

Before the area fell into disrepair, Lower Granville Street and the surrounding Smithfield district were the beating heart of Belfast’s retail and trade industry.

The Smithfield Market: Historically, this was a bustling hub of second-hand bookshops, antique dealers, and haberdasheries. Lower Granville Street served as an artery for this commerce.

Industrial Fabric: The street was lined with small-scale warehouses, workshops, and traditional red-brick terraced housing typical of Victorian Belfast.

The Troubles: Like much of the city centre, the area suffered significantly during the conflict. The proximity to the "Peace Walls" and various flashpoints meant that many businesses eventually moved or closed due to security cordons and the general economic decline of the 1970s and 80s.

Why Has It Remained Derelict? The dereliction of Lower Granville Street isn't down to a single event, but rather a "perfect storm" of urban planning hurdles:

Fragmented Ownership: Much of the land is split between private developers and the Department for Communities. Consolidating these plots for a cohesive project is a legal and financial headache.

The "Tribeca" Project Stalls: The area is part of the massive, controversial Tribeca Belfast redevelopment plan (formerly Royal Exchange). This multi-million-pound project has faced fierce opposition from heritage campaigners and has struggled with planning permissions and funding.

Economic Inertia: The 2008 financial crash halted many inner-city projects, and subsequent shifts in retail habits (the "death of the high street") have made developers hesitant to commit to large-scale commercial builds.

The Canvas of the City The hoarding that lines Lower Granville Street has become a landmark in its own right. In Belfast, where murals have historically been used to mark territory, this street art represents a shift toward cultural expression.

The Culture Night Legacy: Many of the murals appeared during festivals like Culture Night Belfast or through the Hit the North street art festival.

Public Gallery: Because the street is relatively quiet but centrally located, it provides a low-risk, high-visibility canvas for world-class artists. It has transformed a "dead zone" into a destination for walking tours.

Etymology: Why "Granville"? The street is named after Granville George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville, a prominent British Liberal politician and diplomat of the Victorian era. It was common practice in 19th-century Belfast to name streets after influential British peers, Cabinet ministers, or Lords Lieutenant to reflect the city's status as a premier industrial powerhouse of the British Empire.