Holyland (Belfast)

The Holy Land (or The Holylands; Irish: An Talamh Naofa) is a residential area of inner-south Belfast, Northern Ireland. Composed of a series of streets behind Queen's University near to the River Lagan, the area has been dubbed the Holy Land from its street names: Jerusalem Street, Palestine Street, Damascus Street, Carmel Street and Cairo Street. The boundaries of the Holylands are generally considered to be the area between University Street, the Ormeau Road, the River Lagan, Botanic Gardens and Queen's.

History

The Holyland street network was built up to its present layout in the 1890s by Belfast's oldest firm of property consultants, Brown McConnell Clark. Sir Robert McConnell, a devout Christian Victorian developer and a previous Lord Mayor of Belfast, was part of one of the founding families of the firm. Along with a builder friend, James Rea, Robert McConnell visited Palestine and Egypt. He was responsible for naming these streets, when he later developed this area, after the places they had visited - Carmel, Damascus, Cairo, Jerusalem and Palestine - and they became known as the 'Holy Land'. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/yourplaceandmine/belfast/property_development_history.shtml Your Place And Mine - Greater Belfast] ]

Population

The demographic makeup of the Holyland has dramatically changed in recent years. This is due to a number of reasons: The expansion in student numbers at Queen's University; a subsequent insufficient availability of University Accommodation; significant "investment" by private landlords causing rising house prices; and the attraction of living in South Belfast all have increased student numbers living in the Holyland area. This has transformed the area’s population from mainly working class nationalist families to the current level of over 90% student occupation. In one square kilometre of Belfast, there are an estimated 7,000 students living. This has dwindled the long-term residential population to 400-500 people.

These shifts in student numbers have led to an almost inevitable increase in anti-social behaviour by a minority of students. Which in turn has intensified friction with the permanent Holyland community population resulting in an increased number of complaints to both local universities. Student overcrowding in Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs) and poor community infrastructure has led to an increase in noise, burglary, violent behaviour, and vehicle crime. There has been increased media attention on the Holyland area over the last few years, most notably on the BBCNI Spotlight current affairs television programme, which highlighted these problems of student anti-social behaviour.

In February 2005, in response to these issues, the University of Ulster and Queen's University Belfast launched its Student Awareness Campaign, using a specifically commissioned illustration accompanied with the question "Do You Turn Into A Monster After Dark?" The campaign was fully supported by both Students' Unions. [ [http://www.heist.co.uk/awards/uuqubcat4040506.cfm Heist Awards] ] The Campaign's aim was to make a direct appeal to students to respect their neighbours and help create conditions were everyone can live in peace.

Common Grounds is a community, fair trade café which was established by City Church in 2004 to improve the community infrastructure in the heart of Belfast's Holyland area. One of its aims has been to improve tensions between residents and students living in the area.

In January 2006 a team of community safety wardens were appointed to work in the Holyland area, in a novel approach to issues such as anti-social behaviour and community development. The initiative was launched in the Belfast City Council and government agencies, the Police, the city's universities and colleges and other relevant bodies.

A resident maintains a blog which presents the students as having a parasitic influence on the area. [http://holylandswarzone.blogspot.com/2007/04/sell-your-home-and-get-fuck-out-of.html]

It has also been parodied [http://hollylands-wearzon.blogspot.com/] ]

Holylands Arts Festival

Hosted by City Church but operating over four venues in the Holyland area of Belfast, the first Holylands Arts Festival took place in October 2005. The event included music, dance and art events with over 30 local artists involved. It is hoped that this will now be an annual event and is planned to coincide with the commencement of the academic year. It's objectives were: To engender a sense of community in the area; To introduce students to the positives of living in the area, make them feel part of the community and to encourage them to behave responsibly as residents of the area; and To enhance the status of the Community Centre (Common Grounds Cafe) as a centre for the community.

Recent Media Attention

Anti-social behaviour in the area has led to a lot of negative media attention in the area. A common focus for this attention is the reports of rowdy drunken behaviour, criminal damage to houses and cars, random violence and other associated anti-social behaviour. This has led to a down turn in the number of students staying in the area amid concerns for personal safety.

Commentators have forecast tensions in the area coming to a head in the coming term of September 2008 owing to an influx of undesirables into the area and a growing hardcore of student anti-social behaviour.

References

External links

* [http://www.heist.co.uk/awards/uuqubcat4040506.cfm Heist Student Awareness campaign]
* [http://www.hlaf.org Holylands Arts Festival]
* [http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/news/archivedetail.asp?id=18&month=January%202006 Belfast City Council Initiative]