“The notorious St Patrick’s Day parties in Belfast’s ‘Holylands’ area – an annual source of concern for local residents – are causing particular anxiety this year as Northern Ireland grapples with the spread of Covid-19 …” (more)
[TheJournal.ie, 17 March]
“Behaviour in the Holyland area of south Belfast has become so bad that one woman reported seeing a student defecate against a tree. She said the problem of antisocial behaviour is ‘constant’ in the area …” (more)
[Gillian Halliday, Belfast Telegraph, 12 February]
“Nearly 3,600 complaints about student behaviour were made to our two universities in a four-year period. People raised concerns over a range of off-campus incidents including antisocial behaviour, excessive noise and disorder – much of it fuelled by alcohol …” (more)
[Gillian Halliday, Belfast Telegraph, 11 February]
“Queen’s University is investigating 100 cases of anti-social behaviour in the Holyland area of Belfast since the beginning of term. Figures obtained by the BBC show that the cases had come before the university’s disciplinary officers up to October 11. They are currently ongoing. Ulster University (UU) has issued 47 written warnings to students living in the area from the start of the academic year in September until November 7 …” (more)
[Gareth Cross, Belfast Telegraph, 28 November]
“Holyland residents have described ‘total chaos’ as hundreds of young people partied on the streets of the south Belfast neighbourhood overnight. Chair of College Park Avenue Residents’ Association Brid Ruddy told the Belfast Telegraph that the trouble started at lunchtime on Sunday when students began drinking on the streets …” (more)
[Mark Edwards, Belfast Telegraph, 16 September]
“Fed-up residents in the Holyland area of Belfast have called for a crackdown on street drinking during this year’s St Patrick’s Day celebrations. The Holyland area of south Belfast has become infamous for students engaging in anti-social behaviour every March 17 …” (more)
[Mark Edwards, Belfast Telegraph, 15 March]
“Residents in Belfast’s Holylands who say that they are virtual prisoners in their own homes due to student mayhem fear there is no end in sight to the ongoing problem. Sunday marked the start of Freshers’ Week at Queen’s University, with those who live in the south Belfast ‘student land’ saying they are being held hostage to hooliganism …” (more)
[Mark Bain, Belfast Telegraph, 18 September]
“A Belfast nightclub has come under fire for a student night drinks promotion offering bottles, spirits, mixers and shots for as little as 60p each. Aiming to cash in as university students return to the city after the summer break, Fourteen in Tomb Street launched the ‘666’ promotion last night – a day after drunken students wreaked havoc around the Holylands at the start of Freshers Week …” (more)
[Mark Bain, Belfast Telegraph, 18 September]
“Holyland residents have expressed outrage after being forced to endure a ‘weekend from hell’ as hundreds of young people partied on the streets of the south Belfast neighbourhood …” (more)
[Brett Campbell, Belfast Telegraph, 3 July]
“Belfast City Council has been criticised for granting a councillor planning permission for new flats in the Holylands despite efforts to reduce the area’s high concentration of students …” (more)
[Brendan Hughes, Irish News, 2 February]
“Since my election in 2014, I’ve devoted a fair bit of time and effort to the challenges faced by the Holylands and its community of settled residents. I won’t rehearse the full and inglorious history of how we arrived here but the experiences that residents have endured are just awful …” (more)
[Emmet McDonough-Brown, Slugger O’Toole, 17 November]
“Belfast City Council has defended not issuing any fines last month for on-street drinking in the Holylands, saying it adopted a ‘graduated response’. It said this involved advising students of the law during the freshers’ period and ‘warning them that they could be prosecuted’ for anti-social behaviour …” (more)
[Brendan Hughes, Irish News, 9 October]
“Belfast City Council has ‘written off’ the Holyland area, a Green MLA has claimed. Clare Bailey a representative for the area said a Freedom of Information request she had made revealed there had only been seven fines issued since January in the area. Last month residents told the Belfast Telegraph they felt ‘under siege’ during Freshers’ Week. They described mayhem, partying and drunkenness …” (more)
[Belfast Telegraph, 9 October]
“Residents in south Belfast’s Holyland area say they are frustrated at the lack of a parking scheme for the area more than 10 months on from when it was first announced. The scheme for College Park Avenue and Rugby Road was given the go-ahead by the former Infrastructure Minister Chris Hazzard last November …” (more)
[BBC News, 22 September]
“Three arrests have been made in the Holyland area of Belfast as students return for the Freshers Week ahead of the start of the University year. In recent years the Holyland in south Belfast has become infamous for large numbers of young people taking part in anti-social behaviour to the distress of residents. There were similar incidents this time last year as students arrived and took up accommodation in the area …” (more)
[Claire Williamson, Belfast Telegraph, 20 September]
“The Police Service of Northern Ireland made at least 11 arrests on St Patrick’s Day in the Holyland area of south Belfast, a district densely populated by students. On Friday there was a heavy police presence in the district which is full of multiple-occupancy houses, pubs and restaurants …” (more)
[Amanda Ferguson, Irish Times, 18 March]
“Police are dealing with low-level disorder in Belfast’s Holyland. The area is busy with St Patrick’s Day revellers. Officers have a mobile cell van in case of trouble …” (more)
[Belfast Telegraph, 17 March]
“Debate rages as to whether the south Belfast area densely populated by students is called the Holyland or the Holylands, but what is unanimously agreed is that antisocial behaviour has been an issue there for many years. Holyland resident Bríd Ruddy has lived in the area …” (more)
[Amanda Ferguson, Irish Times, 13 February]
“Students involved in anti-social behaviour in Belfast’s Holyland area are putting their education and careers at risk, says Queen’s University. More than 150 complaints about the behaviour of students from various institutions have been lodged with Belfast City Council since Monday …” (more)
[BBC News, 22 September]
“A Facebook page carrying derogatory comments about young women walking home after a night out allegedly compiled by students in Belfast has been slammed by student leaders …” (more)
[Belfast Telegraph, 6 October]
