Belfast Cenotaph

The Belfast Cenotaph is a Portland stone war memorial in Donegall Square that rises about 30 feet tall and features bronze flagpole brackets with carved laurel wreaths at its crown. The structure sits near Belfast City Hall and forms a focal point in the center of the square.

The memorial was designed by Sir Alfred Brumwell Thomas and officially unveiled on November 11, 1929, to commemorate those lost in World War I. It became a Grade A listed building and has remained a central feature of the city since its dedication.

The inscriptions feature text in Latin and English that honors the soldiers' service across land, sea, and air. These words give the memorial its character as a gathering place for remembrance.

The memorial is accessible year-round in central Belfast and easy to reach on foot from surrounding streets. Formal ceremonies take place on Remembrance Sunday and July 1st, times when larger crowds gather at the site.

A sunken Garden of Remembrance extends northward from the memorial with renewed paving laid in 1993. Each year since 2011 it hosts a Field of Remembrance where visitors can leave poppies to honor the fallen.

Location: Belfast

Architects: Brumwell Thomas

Part of: Cenotaph and Garden of Rememberance

GPS coordinates: 54.59615,-5.93092

Latest update: December 13, 2025 17:05