"Bridge Street is so named from the bridge which crossed the Town River immediately opposite to it. It was built of stone, according to its title, and was the largest and most important of the number" (George Benn, A History of the Town of Belfast, vol. i, 1877, p. 527-28).
"In course of time the river running down the middle of High Street was crossed by several bridges for the convenience of the inhabitants. The principal, and probably the earliest one was the Stone Bridge, opposite Bridge Street. When our forefathers enjoyed their holidays in more carefree fashion than is possible today, there was a Maypole at the Stone Bridge in High Street in the eighteenth century" (John J Marshall, Belfast Telegraph, Friday 24 January 1941).
Bridge Street, named as link to a bridge over the Farset or Town River at High Street. This was marked on a map in 1680 and called after a stone bridge at the High Street end which crossed the Town River (Marcus Patton, Central Belfast: A HIstorical Gazetteer, 1993, p. 42).