In 1750 Belfast was a small town with a population of just 25,000 a town with little importance for the Irish textile industry, however by the outbreak of the first world war thanks to the Industrial Revolution the city had become the largest linen-producing centre in the world. 

 

People flocked to the city to work in new mills contributing the population of the city  more than doubling ( to 70,000) between 1841 and 1871 and again between 1871 and 1901, by 1911 the population had swelled to 385,000, at the time Belfast was the fasted growing city in the UK.

 

Linen Mills were mainly based on the Antrim side of the City where they helped stimulate the development of other industries such as Chemical Manufacture. During the 19th Century Linen was the biggest industry in Belfast even larger than Shipbuilding.  

 

Linen was synonymous with Belfast during the 19th Century much of the fine and ornate architecture that can be seen in Belfast today was built from the prosperity and investments made during the height of the Linen and Shipbuilding Industries.