The relief Belfast Coat of Arms are located on the gates at the entrance to City Hall in Belfast city centre.
"The current Belfast Coat of Arms dates from 30th June 1890 when the Ulster King of Arms made a Grant of Arms to the new city of Belfast.
The motto 'Pro tanto quid retribuamus' (what shall we repay for so much that we have received) comes from Psalm 116 verse 12 of the Bible. (
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The precise origins and meanings of the symbols contained on the Coat of Arms are unknown. But images such as the bell, the seahorse, the ship and the chained wolf were all used by 17th century Belfast merchants on their signs and coinage.
The ship at the base of the shield shows the maritime importance of Belfast.
The name Belfast also originates from the Gaelic Beal Feirste, which means mouth of the river." (
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"Belfast City Hall was commissioned to celebrate Belfast’s status as a city granted by Queen Victoria in 1888. It was designed by Alfred Brumwell Thomas in the Baroque Revival style and built out of Portland stone.
To match the city’s new status, it cost an extraordinary £369,000 which is the equivalent to around £128 million today. The magnificent building finally opened its doors in August 1906."
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"The coat of arms of Belfast, now capital of Northern Ireland, was granted officially on 30 June 1890,[1] although it has been used from 1643.
The coat of arms of the city is blazoned as Party per fesse argent and azure, in chief a pile vair and on a canton gules a bell argent, in base a ship with sails set argent on waves of the sea proper. This heraldic language describes a shield that is divided in two horizontally (party per fesse). The top (chief) of the shield is silver (argent), and has a point-down triangle (a pile) with a repeating blue-and-white pattern that represents fur (vair). There is also a red square in the top corner (a canton gules) on which there is a silver bell. It is likely that the bell is an example here of "canting" (or punning) heraldry, representing the first syllable of Belfast. In the lower part of the shield (in base) there is a silver sailing ship shown sailing on waves coloured in the actual colours of the sea (proper). The supporter on the "dexter" side (that is, the viewer's left) is a chained wolf, while on the "sinister" side the supporter is a sea-horse. The crest above the shield is also a sea-horse.
In the lower part, the coat of arms has the Latin motto "Pro tanto quid retribuamus" in black on a white tape. This is taken from Psalm 116 Verse 12 in the Latin Vulgate Bible (Quid retribuam Domino pro omnibus quæ retribuit mihi?) and is literally "For (Pro) so much (tanto) what (quid) shall we repay (retribuamus)" The verse has been translated in bibles differently – for example as "What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?". It is also translated as "In return for so much, what shall we give back?"
These arms date back to 1613, when King James I granted Belfast town status. The seal was used by Belfast merchants throughout the 17th century on their signs and trade-coins.[5] A large stained glass window in the City Hall displays the arms, where an explanation suggests that the seahorse and the ship refer to Belfast's significant maritime history. The wolf may be a tribute to the city's founder, Sir Arthur Chichester, and refer to his own coat of arms.
The elements that make up the arms of Belfast also appear on its flag."
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