Yousif Nur Explores Van Morrison’s Belfast Roots On The Eve Of His 80th Birthday.
Belfast boasts a rich music heritage. It’s one of three cities in the UK to be known as a UNESCO Music City, alongside Glasgow and Liverpool. It’s also home to Van Morrison, a man who, admittedly, I wasn’t a huge fan of, not because I disliked his music, but I didn’t get around to listening to his vast back catalogue. And with his 80th birthday party going on whilst I was in town, it’d be rude not to see Van the Man.
So what better way to get to know him than to follow in his footsteps in the city that made him the musical legend he is today.
This trip began with a taxi ride from George Best Belfast City Airport to my hotel. I told the driver that I’m writing a piece about Van Morrison and Belfast before he remarked, “I’ve met Van Morrison a couple of times.”
“Nice guy?” I asked.
“Not particularly.”
When I arrived in Belfast City Centre and checked into my hotel, I found that I had an afternoon to spare, so I fought the rain and my broken umbrella to have a stroll around the city centre and passed the Belfast City Hall. As I arrived after 5 pm, it was closed, but the building itself looked quite imposing, almost resembling a cathedral or a place of worship with its green dome and neo-baroque architecture.
Exploring Belfast’s History
The next morning, I was picked up and taken on a brief visit to the Ulster Museum to learn of the Troubles and their history through a permanent exhibition that was running. There were rows of history with artefacts from both Catholic and Protestant peoples. The exhibition presented personal anecdotes from both sides, offering a poignant look at the cost of human conflict. Today, there are well-documented efforts aimed at reconciliation and lasting peace in Northern Ireland.
Belfast isn’t only known for the Soulful tones of Van Morrison, it also has the raw energy of punk: I passed by the site of the legendary Good Vibrations, the record shop and label, known for having the likes of The Undertones and Stiff Little Fingers on its roster. Founded in 1976, the shop and label served as a voice of defiance, offering an escape from violence where people didn’t care about sectarian labels.
It’s also famous for releasing Teenage Kicks by the Undertones, a track that legendary DJ John Peel loved so much that he played it twice in a row. Now no longer there, Terri Hooley, the legendary MD and known as the Godfather of Punk, famously once said:
“When it comes to punk, New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!”
Continuing my exploration of Belfast’s history, I then visited the Peace Wall, which separates the two sets of inhabitants in the west of the city – it’s a high and wide structure featuring murals, as well as people leaving messages. I was offered a marker pen to write something, which I gladly obliged.
Walking Tour of Van Morrison’s Belfast Roots
It was then time to get back on the Van Morrison trail, with a walking tour of his roots in East Belfast. Born George Ivan Morrison, his formative years were spent at Elmgrove Primary School. Nearby, at the bridge at the hollow, a childhood haunt immortalised in his smash hit Brown Eyed Girl, which went on to be played over 10 million times on American radio. The stone carving is also the oldest of its kind in Belfast.
He grew up in a working-class Protestant community and was self-taught on a guitar his father had bought him at the age of 11. His first band was named the Sputniks, and they played gigs and small parties in an outdoor area for the community to come and watch. Van’s first job was as a window cleaner whilst carving out a career as a musician. I also walked past and stopped briefly at his childhood home at 125 Hyndford Street before the present inhabitants looked out of the window, which was my sign to move on.
Along the way, I also passed Cyprus Avenue, inspired by his song of the same name, which is full of mansions, as the song mentions. In 2015, he played a show there on his 70th birthday, with thousands gathering to watch from the tree-lined street.
Day Trip To County Down
To get a feel of Van Morrison’s inspirations beyond Belfast, I took the following day to explore around Coney Island (a spoken word track inspired by a location) and County Down. Along the way, I visited Downpatrick, home to the site where St. Patrick is buried in Down Cathedral. It’s also said that Van owns a house in nearby Ardglass, which is not surprising, given its proximity to the sea and vast, lush greenery. It’s also in keeping with his reclusive nature, where he could be left alone with beautiful scenery, away from the public eye. Breathing in the sea air on a sunny, blustery day would leave anyone feeling inspired.
On the way back to Belfast, I was driven past the Culloden Estate, which was a haunt where Morrison played the grand piano and stayed for many years undisturbed. I nearly went in, but there wasn’t time. I had a gut feeling we should have dropped in briefly to take a look, and my instincts were correct: I later learned from someone close to him, that he was actually there that afternoon, alongside Ronnie Wood from the Rolling Stones. Regrets? I’ve had a few.
Van Morrison Live At The Waterfront Hall
Later in the evening, the search was over – Van Morrison played a hometown show at the Waterfront Hall, where, midway through his set, Ronnie Wood joined onstage to wish Van a happy 80th birthday, to a standing ovation, before Van acknowledged, “You’ve made a very happy man feel very old!” Van blitzed through his set with no breaks of talking to the crowd, which ended with his sixties hit Gloria. The crowd, despite being mainly mature in age, stood up and danced along, a performance that lasted over 10 minutes.
Am I now a fan of Van Morrison? Nothing has changed; I don’t love or hate him. But as I’ve followed in his footsteps, I learned that Belfast is just as soulful a place as its most famous son. Plus, it is an excellent place for a good craic.
Images credit: Yousef Nur and Tourism Northern Ireland
Tell Me More About Van Morrison’s Belfast Roots
For more information on visiting Belfast please visit Tourism Ireland
Yousif Nur stayed at the Hilton Belfast – situated around half a mile from the city centre.
British Airways flies direct from London Heathrow and London City airports to Belfast.
The Ulster Museum features exhibits that detail Northern Ireland’s history.
Waterfront Hall hosts a variety of events throughout the year.
Creative Tours Belfast provided all walking tours, including the Van Morrison tour.(£27)
