A public consultation on expanding pedestrianised areas in Belfast city centre is expected in the coming weeks, after the first Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Northern Ireland brought more than 1.5 million visitors to the capital.
The announcement comes from Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins, who said the week-long festival demonstrated the potential benefits of closing parts of the city centre to traffic. The proposed changes are for Belfast, not Armagh, and the source material does not set out any changes to roads or traffic arrangements in Armagh.
What happened during the Fleadh
A section around Belfast City Hall was closed to traffic during the festival, which ran from Sunday August 2 to Sunday August 9. Footfall cameras recorded 1,653,999 visits across Belfast city centre during that period.
Saturday was reported as the busiest day of the year to date, with 289,560 visitors. The event was described by Visit Belfast chief executive Gerry Lennon as a “watershed moment” for the city and as an event that had placed Belfast on the global stage.
Kimmins said the festival created an opportunity for the public to consider whether increased pedestrianisation should continue. She said her department had already been preparing a new transport plan for the Belfast area.
What the consultation could cover
The minister said the consultation would include proposals to expand pedestrianisation in Belfast city centre. She described the wider aim as reshaping town and city centres around people, with more attractive and accessible public spaces, less reliance on cars and greater use of sustainable travel.
She also said accessibility would be a central consideration and invited people to give their views on the proposals. No consultation launch date, specific streets or final pedestrianisation measures were included in the supplied report.
North Belfast MP John Finucane said the festival showed what Belfast could look like when people were prioritised over traffic. He said the city centre had become a welcoming space where families, visitors and communities could meet during the event.
For Armagh residents, the immediate practical point is that the reported plans relate to Belfast city centre. Anyone travelling from Armagh to Belfast should wait for the consultation details and any later transport information before assuming that permanent closures or diversions will be introduced.
The next stated step is the publication of the consultation by the Infrastructure Minister in the coming weeks. The public will then have an opportunity to respond to the proposals before any longer-term decision is made.
