bout ye, caolan

Caolan is a youth worker from Belfast who goes to the gym a lot and is a BIG Man United fan. He's also into camping, bushcraft and the outdoors and loves to find peace in nature. So he spends a lot of time around Black Mountain and the Mournes.

A young male with dark hair and beard standing in a grassy area of a mountain wearing grey shorts, grey gilet and a red t-shirt holding an artworked cut out of George Best's Man Utd shirt with Best written in blue and no. 7 in yellow.

Growing up, Manchester United was always a massive part of Caolans family and so he grew up feeling he had a connection to the club. Believing they were the biggest club with the most decorated history, it was great for Caolan to learn that United legend George Best was from Belfast. It was also positive for Caolan to find out that George Best’s shirt is in the Ulster Museum Collection.

A young male with dark hair and beard standing in a grassy area of a mountain wearing grey shorts, grey gilet and a red t-shirt. His left arm is lifted away from his body, out to the side and he's looking up and into the distance.

Photo credit: Sam Patton

Growing up in a city means it’s hard to find untouched spaces, so that’s why Black Mountain is an amazing resource for escaping. It’s a really enjoyable walk and the view over Belfast is amazing. It’s class to take yourself out of it sometimes and look down from above. I spend a lot of time in the Mournes as well. They had to cut a load of trees down years ago, which was really sad but I’ve been able to watch them grow over the last 6/7 years on my walks and watching that journey has been class sometimes, get some headspace.

"The fact the museum is free is class."

For me, the Ulster Museum has been a resource for us, with the Botanic [Gardens] as well. The fact that it’s free is class. We often bring youth groups as a day out, taking advantage of the museum and the botanical gardens.