Belfast’s Deaf Communit(ies): Language, Education, Poverty and the Law, 1850-1920
Clifton House 2 North Queen Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BelfastThis talk will look at one of Ireland's indigenous language communities: the Deaf community, and the history of this emerging linguistic and cultural group as it formed and grew in Ireland (and in particular Belfast) during the nineteenth century. Dr Cormac Leonard has been a professional Irish Sign Language / English interpreter since 2005, as well as a trainer of interpreters, and also a keen genealogist and family history tutor. He has a long-standing fascination with the history of Deaf people and the historical development of Irish Sign Language, and submitted his PhD thesis, "Deaf People in Ireland: Education, Poverty, and [...]
A Very Victorian Crafty Christmas at the Poorhouse
Clifton House 2 North Queen Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BelfastJoin us on Sunday 8 December for a very special seasonal Christmas event at the Poorhouse. This event is exclusively designed for adults, offering a peaceful and sophisticated atmosphere within a gorgeous Georgian setting. Hear more about the Christmas traditions in the house, make a traditional Victorian Christmas bauble to take home; and enjoy some festive refreshments too! While you bathe in the twinkly lights of our tree in the grand entrance of Clifton House, our expert guides will tell a yarn or two about what Victorian life was like for the residents at Christmas. It is not the Dicken’s tale [...]
Belfast’s Remarkable Women
Belfast City Hall Donegall Square N, BelfastTo mark International Women’s Day, and the first anniversary of the unveiling of Mary Ann McCracken and Winnifred Carney statues, join Dr Robyn Atcheson and Dr Lauren Smyth as they tell you stories of these, and other, remarkable Belfast women at Belfast City Hall for free. Hear stories about Mary Ann McCracken who fought for the rights of the poor and took a stand against the slave trade, as well as some of the women who ended up in the Poor House. This talk will look at how women engaged with politics at a time when their voices were being deliberately [...]
The Hidden History of the Women of Clifton Street Cemetery Talk
Clifton House 2 North Queen Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BelfastWe often hear of the notable men who are buried in Clifton Street Cemetery, but what of the women who were laid to rest there? In this talk, discover stories of notable women such as Mary Ann McCracken, who championed for the poor and fought for the rights of many to the everyday working-class women. Learn about how women such as Martha McTier and Charlotte Sinclair founded and ran the Lying-In Hospital as well as working-class women who ended up in Belfast looking for work or poverty relief at the Poor House. This talk will be given by Dr Lauren Smyth [...]
‘The Grinning Impudence which Arises from Utter Depravity’: Spies and Informers in Belfast and Ulster in 1798.
Clifton House 2 North Queen Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BelfastCome and hear Ken Dawson’s latest research on the impact of spies and informers in the years leading up to the Rebellion of 1798. Ken Dawson is a recently retired teacher. He has been researching the United Irishmen for over twenty years and is the author of a number of articles on the subject. In 2017 Irish Academic Press published his biography of the leading United Irishman Samuel Neilson (The Belfast Jacobin) and he is currently researching the impact of informers in the years leading up to the Rebellion of 1798. Click on the button below to book either your [...]
Clifton House Open Day – July 2025
Clifton House 2 North Queen Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BelfastClifton House Open Day - Featuring the stories of Mary Ann McCracken Clifton House will open its doors to the public on Saturday 5th July, 2025 Come along between 10am - 12pm for a unique opportunity to step inside and explore one of Belfast’s oldest and most beautiful buildings and hear more about Mary Ann McCracken, whose influence on the house can still be felt today. This will be a drop-in style event where our experienced volunteer guides will be on hand to answer your questions and offer you some highlights of the building’s vast history. Please note that no booking [...]
BELFAST’S REMARKABLE WOMEN TALK: MARY ANN MCCRACKEN, WINIFRED CARNEY AND BARONESS MAY BLOOD
Clifton House 2 North Queen Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BelfastCome and hear stories of how Mary Ann McCracken fought for the rights of the poor and took a stand against the slave trade. This talk will look at how Winifred Carney and Baroness May Blood engaged with politics at a time when their voices were being deliberately silenced and how they overcame class barriers in order to achieve small victories. This talk will be given by Dr Lauren Smyth, Dr Margaret Ward and Avila Kilmurray. Dr Lauren Smyth is the Historian of Clifton House. Her specialist subject child poverty in early 19th Century Belfast and how charitable institutions, such as the [...]
The Medical History of Belfast Charitable Society (Cemetery Tour)
Clifton House 2 North Queen Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BelfastLet us take you on journey through the medical history of 18th and 19th Century Belfast through the lives of pioneering surgeons and philanthropists who now lie in rest in Clifton Street Cemetery. From the opening of the Poor House in 1774, Belfast Charitable Society’s philanthropic aims helped foster an environment of pioneering medical work and cemented themselves as an essential part of Belfast’s history. Through a guided tour of Clifton Street Cemetery, learn how the Society took part in innovative inoculation campaigns through the guidance United Irishman, William Drennan. Explore the findings of the recently unearthed mysterious medical chest belonging [...]
The Hidden History of the Women of Clifton Street Cemetery
Clifton House 2 North Queen Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BelfastWe often hear of the notable men who are buried in Clifton Street Cemetery, but what of the women who were laid to rest there? In this brand new tour, discover stories of notable women such as Mary Ann McCracken, who championed for the poor and fought for the rights of many to the everyday working-class women. Learn about how women such as Martha McTier and Charlotte Sinclair founded and ran the Lying-In Hospital as well as well as working-class women who ended up in Belfast looking for work or poverty relief at the Poor House, and are recorded in the [...]
Plots & Plotters: Belfast Charitable Society & the 1798 Rebellion (Clifton Street Cemetery Tour)
Clifton House 2 North Queen Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BelfastCome and explore the stories of the reformers & rebels who made the Belfast Charitable Society a “hotbed of radical activity” in the 1790s and those who spearheaded the 1798 Rebellion! This unique tour charts the story of radical Belfast and the 1798 Rebellion through those who lie buried in Clifton Street Cemetery. Visit the final resting place of Dr William Drennan, the originator of the Society of United Irishmen, the McCrackens and McCabes, who supported the Rebellion, and the Joys, who opposed it. Find out how the Belfast Charitable Society, and its members, emerged from this turbulent period of Irish history to continue its work irrespective [...]
Belfast’s Heroines: Mary Ann McCracken and Martha McTier Walking Tour
Clifton House 2 North Queen Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BelfastCome and learn about Belfast’s heroines, Mary Ann McCracken and Martha McTier, in our brand-new walking tour. Listen to stories of how these women supported the United Irishmen, helped the poor through their charitable work, with Belfast’s most turbulent events in history as a backdrop to their stories. Mary Ann McCracken, who was born over 250 years ago, is intrinsically linked to the city of Belfast. She lived her fearless life championing causes, moving from place to place, always on a mission to make life better for those less fortunate than herself. Martha McTier was an advocate in Belfast for women's [...]
Clifton House Tour: Experience The Belfast Poor House (BSL-Interpreted)
Clifton House 2 North Queen Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BelfastThe history of Belfast begins at Clifton House. From the moment you step through our door you will be transported back in time to the Belfast Poor House. Opened in 1774 this majestic building provided sanctuary to thousands of people, from the young and old, to local citizens and passing sailors, throughout the years. With our augmented reality, visitors can now fully immerse themselves in what life was like in the late eighteenth century. Staff and volunteers from Clifton House will share the history of this fantastic building and its people, while they come to life right before your eyes. See how the children learned [...]