Belfast

Heraldry of the World Civic heraldry of the United Kingdom

BELFAST (City and County Borough)

Additions : 1974 Antrim RDC (partly), Larne RDC, Newtownabbey UDC (partly)

Official blazon

Arms : Party per esse argent and azure, in chief a pile vair and on a canton gules a bell argent, in base a ship with sails set argent on waves of the sea proper.
Crest : On a wreath of the colours, a sea-horse gorged with a mural crown proper.
Supporters : Dexter, a wolf proper, ducally gorged and chained or; sinister, a sea-horse gorged with a mural crown proper.
Motto : Pro tando quid retribuamus

Origin/meaning

The arms were officially granted on June 30, 1890.

I have no information on the meaning or origin of these arms.

The arms as used on a JaJa postcard +/- 1905	The arms on a Wills's cigarette card, 1906
The arms in the Coffee Hag albums +/- 1925	The arms on a Mitchell's cigarette card, 1911
The arms as used on a Faulkner postcard +/- 1905	The arms as seen in the city.

Literature : Scott-Giles, C.W. : Civic heraldry of England and Wales, London, 1932; Briggs, G. : Civic and corporate heraldry. Heraldry Today, Ramsbury, 1971.