Syringa Street (BT15, Duncairn)
Location. Connects Duncairn Gardens with Upper Mervue Street in the Tiger’s Bay district. It is listed consistently in Belfast directories from the late 19th century onward.
Dating. The Northern Whig of 14 September 1881 refers to Syringa Street, showing it was in use by then. Origin of the name. Floral. Syringa is the botanical name for lilac, from Greek syrinx (“pipe/tube”), referring to its hollow stems. In Victorian flower language lilac symbolised the first emotions of love. Plant names were fashionable for new streets in late-Victorian Belfast. Sporting. A racehorse named Syringa was active in 1880–81 and ran in the Great Yorkshire Handicap at Doncaster (reported in the Northern Whig, 14 Sept 1881). Horse-racing was widely followed in Belfast, and racehorse names often caught the imagination of readers. Maritime. Several 19th-century barques carried the name Syringa. The Northern Whig of 14 September 1881 also printed Belfast shipping intelligence listing the barque Syringa. Its presence in the harbour news, alongside the street’s appearance, suggests a direct maritime inspiration — fitting for a port city where ship names frequently influenced street naming.
Summary. Syringa Street, a late-Victorian addition to Tiger’s Bay, may take its name from the lilac flower, a contemporary racehorse, or a barque trading through Belfast. All three associations were visible in Belfast newspapers in 1881, making the choice rich in both cultural and local resonance.