Now on to the SSE Arena and pavilion (formerly known as the Odyssey) to check out the many activities it has to offer. The arena is not only home to the Belfast Giants (Belfast’s ice hockey team; more about them later) but has hosted some of the biggest musical acts in the world; Elton John, Rihanna and Adele are just a few of the thousands of acts who have set foot on the stage in front of the 10,000+ capacity crowd.
The arena has also played host to many other sporting events, various musicals, WWE tapings, UFC events, boxing matches (with Belfast’s own Carl Frampton), Disney on Ice, Premier League darts, comic conventions, the Belfast Tattoo, and even the MTV European Music Awards took place here in 2011.
The pavilion is home to several restaurants, cafes (we recommend The Streat for a decent fry), bars and clubs (RIP Beach Club) as well a 12 screen cinema and an arcade which offers 10 pin bowling, pool, and some arcade games (most importantly Dance Dance Revolution). The cinema formerly boasted an IMAX screen but sadly this has been closed for quite some time; as far as we know, the screen itself still exists and I certainly would love to see this back in action again.
In October 2015, we visited the SSE’s, W5 (Who What Where When & Why?) a science and discovery centre aimed mainly at kids. We weren’t really sure what to expect and hoped that there would be plenty to entertain adults too. Admission for an adult costs £8.50 (£6.50 for children, and various family packages are available too) and we were really pleasantly surprised with what we found! The centre spans several floors, all of which make use of interactive features which manage to be great fun and educational. During our visit we made model cars, competed in tug of war, and (most excitingly) met Robothespian, a talking, interactive robot! See him generously promote our blog here. As it was October, the annual ‘Monster Mansion’ Halloween spectacular was back; this was a fantastic, spooky display of singing pumpkins, haunting holograms and creepy skeletons, and good news; it’s coming back for 2016! More details can be found here.
Besides all the interactive and festive goings-on, two fantastic exhibits really stood out. Firsty, the ‘Tomb of Homunculus Hibernicus’ by artist John Kindness which is basically an ornate cabinet with a tiny little human skelton inside, perhaps a leprechaun? The story behind the piece is fascinating and you can read more about that here.
Another treat was ‘Once Upon A Fairytale’ by model maker Mark Maher. Mark is known for working on ‘The Hobbit’ film series and here at W5, he has several miniature model sets on display, from various books and movies, all painstakingly handmade, with an incredible attention to detail. My personal favourite was the set of Dorothy’s (from the Wizard of Oz) house atop the tiny legs of the Wicked Witch; complete with her charmed silver shoes, a nod to the original Oz books by L. Frank Baum. As a big fan of pop culture, as well as toys, action figures and figurines, Maher’s work was a real pleasure to see. Click the link here to read an article about Mark Maher’s work at Hasbro; a great insight for toy fans like me!
Something else that really impressed us about W5 was their emphasis on health and the environment; vending machines selling water only, and clearly marked bins for recycling, make W5 a real ambassador for personal and environmental health and other venues should seriously take note.
Now for the aforementioned Belfast Giants! Belfast’s ice hockey team were formed in 2000 and after being to a few matches over the last 16 years, we’ve recently started going more regularly and are now diehard fans of the ‘Teal and White Army’! The atmosphere at matches is electric, with great music, cheerleaders, competitions, the infamous Subway cannon, and the ever vocal fans in Boomerang Corner, we would really recommend attending a match. What we also love about the team is their motto; ‘In the land of the Giants, everyone is equal’. In a country where equality is sadly an issue, and where sports still cause a divide between religions, the Giants make an effort to make everyone feel involved, and in East Belfast, a fantastic Giants mural has replaced an intimidating paramilitary mural in a housing estate. More information on the Giants can be found here.
And so finally, this side of the River Lagan is complete! We took a dander over the Lagan Footbridge which connects the Titanic Quarter to Belfast City Centre, and was recently reopened after being rebuilt, and replacing the previous 20 year old footbridge. There are great views up and down the Lagan from here and at night time, it is beautifully lit up, making the entire area look very fresh, modern and extremely appealing. While on the footbridge, you’re also standing pretty much on top of the Lagan Weir. The weir is basically a number of barriers which help keep the river at a constant level. Besides that, the weir has made a notable improvement in the water quality which in turn has helped reintroduce salmon to the Lagan! More about salmon in our next post….
A day or night out to the SSE is a must if you’re visiting Belfast, there is literally something for everyone to enjoy, and with it’s fantastic location between the Titanic Quarter and the city centre it’s fantastically easy to get to, and you won’t find yourself short of things to do and see.
-Clare
Nooks and Crannies of the Irish Coast 