Holylands dubbed the Magaluf of NI

Officials intend to ‘destudentify’ the area by creating new student accommodation elsewhere


As a result of years of destruction and anti-social behaviour said to have been caused by a concentrated number of young people in the Holylands, plans for a ‘more normal’ Holylands are underway.

The main concern of this so-called ‘Magaluf-type behaviour’ is during Fresher’s week and St Patrick’s Day due to the number of arrests and disturbances which have occurred during these periods in previous years. For example, each year, the University of Ulster has reprimanded over 140 students and suspended five since 2012 due to problems in the Holylands. Bríd Ruddy has been a resident in the Holylands for 30 years, and laments the loss of the “bohemian residential area” she enjoyed at uni, claiming it now hosts “Magaluf-type behaviour, like an 18-30 party land,” she said. “We are not stereotyping students as such, this is a very concentrated number of young people.”

Chief PSNI inspector, Robert Murdie has been working alongside Belfast City Council, Queen’s University and Belfast Met to clamp down on the disruption apparently caused by students and other young people, and aim to persuade students to keep their distance from the Holylands on St Patrick’s day.

Furthermore, a study on ‘destudentification’ has been commissioned in order to assess the impacts of reducing the number of students in particular community areas and how this could improve life for permanent residents in the Holylands.

Consequently, QUB has introduced a hot-line for locals to express their concerns and complaints, as well as issuing plans for two new purpose-built student accommodation buildings in the city centre. The work done is thought to cost £72 million and will create 1,216 new spaces for students, and therefore aims to convert students in the Holylands away from the area and into the new, managed accommodation.

A CGI image of new student accommodation at 48-52 York Street, Belfast

With more and more strategies aimed at changing the face of the Holylands, such as the implementation of security gates, will life as a student in Belfast be the same?