Ormeau Park

The land for Ormeau Park was formerly part of the Donegall family estate. It became their home in 1807, when the family moved to Ormeau Cottage from their town house in Donegall Place. The park was designed by Timothy Hevey, a successful young architect of the day. He won a competition for the best design for of parkland. The present-day park still roughly follows his design with several alterations. In September 1973 the park was scene of a murder in which ten-year-old abductee Brian McDermott was dismembered and his body incinerated. The gruesome nature of the murder was such that local press speculated it may have been carried out as part of a Satanic ritual. However, according to B police files the killing had actually been carried out by John McKeague, a noted far right loyalist paramilitary and activist who was a leading figure in the paedophile ring at Kincora Boys' Home. ==Stadium plan==

Along with the old Maysfield Leisure Centre site, Ormeau Park was one of two sites in that part of Belfast that emerged as possible alternatives to the Maze as a site for a new Northern Ireland stadium. A consortium advocating Ormeau Park as the best venue completed a feasibility study. The proposed City of Belfast Stadium would initially have accommodated a capacity of 25,000 seats with the option to extend to 35,000 seats as required. The plans said that the site would not occupy any of the park land used by the local community but that it would occupy the site currently housing the Ozone leisure facility. In 2007 the then First Minister Ian Paisley vetoed use of the Ormeau Park for this purpose and the plan was abandoned. ==Culture==

The park hosted the Tennents ViTal festival for the first time in August 2007. ==References==