Donegall Road / Bóthar Dhún na nGall

Donegall Road / Bóthar Dhún na nGall

The road is named after the Marquess of Donegall from a family name whose family is found on several locations in Belfast. Donegall Road was once known as Blackstaff Lane, and later Blackstaff Road. The minutes of 27 December 1893 of the Town Improvement Committee of Belfast Corporation state the following: “On application of a large majority of the owners, your committee recommend that the names of Wesley Place and Blackstaff Road be done away and the name ‘Donegall Road’ be given to those two thoroughfares”. From one of his regular articles in the Belfast Telegraph John J Marshall wrote: "Inhabitants of the district used to refer to this thoroughfare as "up the Staff.' It was changed on petition of the residents to Donegall Road, the old familiar name not being considered a name being sufficiently high class for this progressive thoroughfare. It is Blackstaff Road in the directory for 1894, and Donegall Road in the directory of 1895". Belfast Telegraph - Wednesday 08 January 1941.