Falls Road

The Falls Road is the main road through West Belfast; from Divis Street in the city centre to Andersonstown in the suburbs. The city's Roman Catholic Cathedral, St. Peter's and main hospital, the Royal Victoria Hospital sit on this road. It was the scene of many battles between the British army and republicans. This has improved with demilitarization and the peace process, however the area remains a hotbed of anti-British sentiment. In recent times it has become a tourist destination, with people wanting to see the site of epic street battles and gunfights. It has a rich and vibrant culture, and is home to many famous landmarks. In 1970, the road was the scene of what became known as the Falls Curfew . The British army sealed off the streets around the road, home to about 10,000 people, in an attempt to recover IRA weapons, even though republicans had not attacked British soldiers in over 40 years. 90 rifles were recovered and 4 civilians (all unarmed) were killed by the soldiers. This event is widely regarded as the end of the British army's honeymoon period with nationalists in the Six Counties.