Nick Hannon's childhood was spent among the caves and paths around the Cavehill in North Belfast. The range of small hills which form a natural backdrop to the northwest of Belfast are a massive adventure playground for children of all ages.

Nick left Northern Ireland in 1987 as a young chemist, bound for England and the corporate lifestyle working for a multi-national company.

He was asked to continue his work..but in Switzerland. He settled in small town called Prangins on the north bank of Lake Geneva, married a Swiss girl and they now have two Swiss boys".

After exploring the foothills and various small ports and towns around the lake, he was struck by the similarity in geography between his native Cavehill and his new Swiss home.

Nick contacted YP&M online in response to the many emails talking about the Cavehill and mentioned his thoughts that the surroundings of his old home back in Belfast and the area near his new one in Switzerland were similar :

Nick Hannon - June '06
"I grew up running around Cavehill, Bellevue Zoo and Belfast Castle, and have many great memories, for me anyway. I live in Switzerland now on the bank of Lac Leman (Lake Geneva). On a dark evening I can convince myself I am home on the Cavehill, with Geneva to the right of me as Belfast, the big lake on the left as the sea, and Evian across the way as the lights of Bangor & Holywood! "

Could Belfast and Geneva really be compared ? We filmed Nick around the Cavehill and went to Switzerland to see if his claim held up. Click below to watch :

"A Sense of Place" (13mins)	"A Sense of Place" (13mins)

Related Links

Your Cavehill emails

More on Lake Geneva

Cavehill Conservation Campaign

Your Responses

Lee - Apr '07
Dear Nick, I too have memories of Cave Hill. I remember 12th July I think it was 1980, I was 15 and with your younger brother Timmy. We had been going out together for months and on this day we decided to go for a walk from your Mum & Dad's house on the Whitewell Road up to the Cave Hill. Well, while we were walking up the path to the Cave Hill a riot began between Tiger's Bay & Bawnmore , Timmy grabbed me and we ended up hiding down the side of the path behind bushes while these skinheads ran past us and then a white goat appeared from nowhere, it was so funny but we were so scared. I hope this has not caused you any pain or discomfort and if you remember who I am send me an Email, I now live in Melbourne, Australia.
I loved him, always did and still do.

Bernie Seyburn ex DLI - Mar '07
I was stationed at Palace Barracks in 1944 and often looked over the Loch to the other shore and remember also a monument on an adjacent hill.

On the rare occaisions we got some time off and usually on a saturday afternoon we would climb cave hill to look over the sea to ease our home sickness, I was at the Barracks for six months without a leave and had to make Belfast my second home.

The hollywood community were very good to the soldiers and they often invited us to their homes and I will never forget their kindness.

Yuo will remember the date of 1944 prior to D .Day and Belfast was one of the jumping off ports prior to landing in France, The Amercan troops were in great numbers in Belfast and a lot of their boys were to be sacrificed and I am sure alot of them remember the outline of Cave Hill

Cliff Phillips - Feb '07
Hello, Nick Hannon!I am Cliff Phillips and you used to live in my house at Ambergate! Please contact me as I am receiving important mail for you!