Belfast is a city created by the amalgamation of a number of small villages and communities back in the 1750’s.  Most of the villages started were established country folk began moving into the town. In the town land of Ballymacarrett, there were a number of these small villages springing up and amongst them was New Bridge.

In 1755 Richard McCleery, a Master Baker from the town land of Ballymacarret was returning home on horse back after attending a family reunion in Newtownards.  On arriving at the Connswater River he found the river  in full flow due to the heavy rains and high tides. The only crossing point was via large stepping-stones and while attempting to cross he was washed away and drowned.  Two days later, his horse was found wandering on the Strands near Hollywood and a week later, his body was washed ashore.

There was much publicity and public outcry at this incident and the people of Ballymacarret protested through their land agent, Thomas Pottinger.

In 1755 The Grand Juries of Down ruled that a new bridge over the Connswater River and a straight road be built.  From here, the roads from Hollywood and Newtownards would meet down to the Long Bridge that leads into Belfast Town.

This work was completed in 1758, but because of the slob lands it was not possible to build a straight road to the bridge so an “S bend” had to be put in.  This was called the Bridge End, and the name remains today.

The straight road was called the New Road and was renamed the Newtownards Road at the end of the 1800s.

The Bridge was called the Connswater Bridge after the Conn O Neill river “Connswater” which at this time was a wide fast flowing river coming down off the Castlereagh hills.