Northern Ireland – abandoned places

From the 19th century to the early 20th century, Northern Ireland was the center of the textile industry. A reminder of these times are numerous factories that have been preserved in relatively good condition to this day. What’s more interesting, although access to these places is easy, they aren’t demolished. The only factors shaping their unique appearance are the passage of time and nature, which takes control of these places from year to year.

The first industrial complex I visited was built in the 1820s. In its heyday, the main product produced in this factory was linen.

This facility makes an amazing impression due to its interesting industrial architecture. Tall chimneys, characteristic red brick and windows give an idea of ​​the scale of this place. Inside you can see huge halls where are the remains of textiles. Remnants of lighting hang from the ceiling, and the windows are decorated with greenery.

A little further there’s another textile industry facility. This factory was built only 20 years later than the previous one. In its heyday, it reportedly employed over 15,000 workers. Enough yarn was produced here in a week to circle the Earth three times.

Moreover, the yarn was exported from here all over the world, even to such distant countries as Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

During World War II, the facility served as a secret training centre. At that time, British, Belgian and American soldiers were staying  here. Due to heavy competition from China, the factory was finally closed in 1986.

A third, equally large factory was also established in a similar period. Unfortunately, it was impossible to get inside.

Northern Ireland is famous not only for its abandoned factories. The abandoned theatre made an incredible impression on me. Although it was created only 50 years ago, it’s currently in an advanced state of decomposition.

I honestly admit that during the exploration I felt quite insecure walking on the wooden floor that was collapsing. The beautiful ornate ceiling with a glass chandelier, despite being impressive, seemed as if it was about to collapse on my head. However, it wasn’t just an impression. You can see in the photos that it is slightly tilted. Its damage probably accelerated the degradation of this place. There is a lot of water inside the building, which negatively affects wooden elements.

Another interesting place that Northern Ireland has to offer is an abandoned village, located in the picturesque surroundings of the mountains.

Walking between the farms, you can travel back in time and see what rural life was like in Ireland in the 19th century. Once upon a time, the village was self-sufficient, people were planting crops and fishing.

However, isolation and lack of prospects for young generations resulted in emigration. In the mid-20th century, it had only six inhabitants. The last person to survive here until 2013 was a monk from a nearby abbey. It doesn’t seem surprising, who else could live like a hermit? Apparently, scenes from the famous Game of Thrones series were filmed in the village.