This history of the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, Northern Ireland traces the years of development and expansion, as the hospital responded to the needs of a growing and turbulent population. The men and women whose skill and devotion have won an international reputation for the hospital are described, and lists of staff, past and present, are included. From its beginnings in 1797 as the Belfast Dispensary and Fever Hospital in Factory Row (now Berry Street), the hospital has served the city of Belfast for 200 years, earning the respect of generations of patients and their families. Numerous doctors and nurses trained by the Royal are now practising in Great Britain, North America and around the world.