The International Day for Monuments and Sites(World Heritage Day) is held on 18 April each year around the world with different types of activities, including visits to monuments and heritage sites, conferences, round tables and newspaper articles. The International Day for Monuments and Sites was proposed by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) on 18 April 1982 and approved by the General Assembly of UNESCO in 1983. The aim is to promote awareness about the diversity of cultural heritage of humanity, their vulnerability and the efforts required for their protection and conservation.
For over a year now I have been working in the archive of Clifton House and the Belfast Charitable Society and using social media to demonstrate what a heritage gem the people of Belfast have on their doorstep. It is reasonable to say that Belfast would not be the city we know today without the existence of the Belfast Charitable Society. Throughout Belfast’s history, Clifton House has stood as a constant, providing shelter for those who needed it most. It has survived war and rebellions, famine and floods and remains today one of Belfast’s less known jewels.
Today, on World Heritage Day, it is nice just to take the time to appreciate the beauty and history of Clifton House.
