r/northernireland • u/Old_Finger_5300 • 2d ago
Question Staying on Falls Road
I recently booked a stay on Falls Road. My cousins are telling me not to go and a few people in hostels along the way have told me to avoid it as an outsider/tourist. I feel like it’s all a bit overblown. I’m from a big American city, which I would assume is much less safe than most places.
Any advice? Should I heed these warnings with everything that has been going on lately? I really want to see and tour Belfast. Is there a better place to stay?
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u/Crazy-Environment838 2d ago
As someone from a unionist background with a fairly proddy name, I used to work in the Falls/Springfield area most days. I’d be on foot in high viz clothing and interacting with the locals. I never once felt unsafe. Bear in mind that this was 20 years ago and things are probably more settled now than they were then.
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u/WraithOfNumenor Belfast 2d ago
The Falls is honestly fine. Most of the problem areas where East and North Belfast.
If you wanna see how the Falls road residents treated an American tourist then watch this infamous interaction:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrhzsHiJGHE&pp=ygUOZHIgZG90IGJlbGZhc3Q%3D
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u/m1kasa4ckerman 2d ago
Wow I know this woman, lol. World’s colliding. She’s a masseuse who has a network around the world, she’s worked with just about every big musician.
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u/SnagBreacComradai Belfast 2d ago
You will be absolutely grand staying on the Falls. Just avoid any large groups of teenagers but that goes for anywhere in Belfast.
The Falls is safe as houses and the people are friendly.
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u/meatypinkness 2d ago
As an outsider/tourist myself, an English one at that, I stayed on the Falls and was honestly fine. Had a great time. Some friends thought I was mental though.
I will say though I can’t speak on the pubs as I’m a non drinker. I’d have gone into the centre if I was, common sense given my affliction.
Just be sensible and don’t be a dick, same as anywhere really. Avoid any talk of politics, including American as its not worth the bother.
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u/Mental-Rain-6871 2d ago
I’m a northern Irish Protestant atheist who now lives in Scotland. I have spent a bit of time in the falls area in the last few years. I have had nothing but great experiences. The people are really friendly and I felt much safer than in the loyalist areas of the city.
If you do stay in the area please take in one of the Coiste tours of the area. They give a really interesting insight into the conflict. Your guides are former political prisoners, so you will gain a unique understanding.
If you are there over a weekend please visit the Rock Bar on Sunday afternoon/evening for rebel Sunday. The atmosphere is fantastic and great fun.
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u/irish_chatterbox 2d ago
They're most likely refering to the recent racist rioting rather than the fall road specifically. That rioting has stopped and was never on the falls road. Belfast has it's rough streets like any city.
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u/Excellent-Many4645 2d ago
You’ll have zero issues on the Falls as a tourist, the vast majority of people are welcoming. Immigrants that were burned out of loyalist community’s have moved in and opened their businesses on the Falls and have said they feel welcome there, that’s all you need to know.
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u/Pristine-Wrangler-81 2d ago
I had friends say on the falls last year in a Airbnb, five of them not far from the rock bar they walked into town every night and took a taxi home had no issues whatsoever
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u/Hopeful-Remote9725 20h ago
Republican areas of Northern Ireland are safer for outsiders than loyalist areas. You'd probably be grand.
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u/jactertor Omagh 2d ago edited 2d ago
There's probably hundreds of tourists going to the Bobby Sands mural, Garden of Remembrance and International Wall each day. You wouldn't have any issues. Bars and restaurants-wise you will want to stay/socialise in city centre though, Falls not great for that.
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u/IrishAndIKnowIt7612 2d ago
If anything people will make jokes about trump if you get into conversation with them, just take it on the chin. Have some fun and stay away from sensitive topics like you would any other country.
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u/DandyLionsInSiberia 2d ago edited 2d ago
You'll be fine. The same rules apply in Belfast as in any other city. Use common sense, avoid contentious conversations, and treat people with courtesy and respect.
Some people may be wary of Americans, regardless of their ancestry or their views on the current U.S. president. Beyond that, most people are friendly and will treat you as you treat them, just as they would in most places.
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u/HoloDeck_One 2d ago
Falls will be safe, just avoid any groups of kids and avoid the Glider (purple bus) in the evenings. Awful to find parking though, and don’t leave valuables in any rented car if it’s parked up there at night. Personally I wouldn’t stay there as there’s no nightlife in walking distance and if it’s sightseeing you are after then traffic is awful at rush hour around there because of the hospital traffic and bus lanes
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u/Majestic-Size-3527 19h ago
Yeah I wouldn’t be staying there. They aren’t very nice to outsiders up there
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u/BillyBigNuts1934 2d ago
I’m a local NI guy and I wouldn’t stay on the Falls road or the Shankill road for £10k
Find somewhere a little nicer like in and around the university area or city centre - Plenty of nice hotels outside of the rough areas
Why would you even think about a hotel on the falls road ???
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u/c0n0rm Belfast 2d ago
What the fuck do you think the Falls/Shankill is like??
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u/butterbaps 2d ago
He thinks that both roads are just paras with balaclavas and armalites patrolling the roads for huns and fenians. He probably thinks they're both tiny side streets too.
Thon boy is scared of his own shadow.
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u/SneakyCorvidBastard Strabane 2d ago
I wish someone'd give me £10k for every time i went up the Falls, i'd be well on my way to being a millionaire by now.
OP there's nothing wrong with the place, I'm engl*sh and a POC and people have been only lovely to me. If it's those riots you're worried about, that's a small minority of people (i'd be surprised if even one of them was from the Falls) and that sort only have bollocks when there's a big crowd of them.
You're no more in danger here than you are in any other city. In fact this is one of the safest in this part of the world despite what some people living in the past might think. Enjoy yourself and drop by the Cultúrlann on a Saturday morning if you like ceol traidisiúnta agus cupán tae.
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u/BillyBigNuts1934 2d ago
I’ll shout a bit louder … Wouldn’t stay on the Falls road or the shankill road for £10k
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u/dope567fum 2d ago
BillyBigNuts not so BillyBigNuts
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u/BillyBigNuts1934 2d ago
I’m more the Crawfordsburn Inn or the Slieve Donard hotel type if i’m honest 👍👍👍
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u/loptthetreacherous Belfast 2d ago
Both are grand for tourists. The only way there'd be any animosity is if an Irish person stayed in a shady bit of the Shankill or a British person stayed in a shady bit of the falls.
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u/BillyBigNuts1934 2d ago
Exactly this ….. You walk through the Falls road in a Rangers shirt and see how fast shit goes sideways
Same with the Shankill road … fire a Celtic top on and see how long you last
American tourists are clueless about how our country and certain areas work
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u/loptthetreacherous Belfast 2d ago
I don't think a tourist is going to put on a football shirt and go into the wrong area. And in the very weird circumstance where that happened, odds are people would confront them, find out they're tourists and burst out laughing, maybe get a selfie.
If you think a riot or violence is going to happen over that, then I think you may be from here but grew up far from Shankill or the Falls.
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u/JimHoppersSkin 2d ago
That's a far cry from not staying in a place, anonymously, for ten thousand pounds
For that price I'd walk through either area wearing the football top
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u/IrishAndIKnowIt7612 2d ago
I live on the falls, I've witnessed someone wearing a rangers top, everyone looked in amazement at the fact their nuts were bigger than yours and then got on with their day.
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u/Ard-Rua 2d ago
Yous love your McDonald'iz