Clifton House Tour: Experience The Belfast Poorhouse
Clifton House Tour: Experience The Belfast Poorhouse The 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 Poorhouse – opened in 1774 – which 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 [...]
Clifton Street Cemetery Tour
Clifton Street Cemetery Tour Step back in time as you enter through the gates of Clifton Street Cemetery, opened by the Belfast Charitable Society in 1797 which catered to all of the citizens of Belfast. Visit the graves of radicals and reformers from a time when Belfast was the Athens of the North as well as the final resting places of the industrial giants who help to shape Belfast into a global powerhouse. Wealthy merchants and professionals purchased the Walled Plots, with many showing off their wealth through elaborate memorials and mausoleums. Your tour guide will tell you tales of bodysnatching and the thousands of souls who lie [...]
Hero of Belfast: Mary Ann McCracken Walking Tour
Hero of Belfast: Mary Ann McCracken Walking Tour Experience Mary Ann McCracken’s Belfast, as you walk in the footsteps of this remarkable abolitionist, philanthropist and social reformer. 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. Hear too about her more radical nature. Her role in the work of the United Irishmen, the 1798 rebellion and beyond. How she was devoted to her older brother Henry Joy – [...]
Paupers and Public Health: Belfast Charitable Society and the Sick Poor, with Dr Robyn Atcheson
Clifton House 2 North Queen Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BelfastSince opening its doors 250 years ago, the Poorhouse was the first to offer free medical relief for the sick poor of Belfast. As the town grew, the role of the Belfast Charitable Society remained central to the expanding network of charities, institutions and hospitals providing different kinds of medical care. This talk explores how the Society treated the sick within its own walls and how it endeavoured to respond to various public health issues. The Society played a key role in the provision of maternity care and the establishment of a lunatic asylum as well as dealing with epidemics of [...]
Walking Tour of North Belfast Heritage Cluster
Walking Tour of North Belfast Heritage Cluster - 18th May, 12pm. This tour will showcase the unique heritage of inner north Belfast and tell the stories about the hidden history of the area. You will start at the doors of Redeemer Central at 101 Donegall Street, before passing some of the most historically important buildings in Northern Ireland, while also gaining an insight into the work of the Cluster. Cluster members include places of worship, work and education. In association North Belfast Heritage Cluster and its Re-create Great Place North Belfast Project. Meeting point: Redeemer Central at 101 Donegall Street
Plots & Plotters: Belfast Charitable Society & the 1798 Rebellion (Clifton Street Cemetery Tour)
Clifton House 2 North Queen Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BelfastPlots & Plotters: Belfast Charitable Society & the 1798 Rebellion (Clifton Street Cemetery Tour) Come 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 spearhead 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, those like the McCrackens and McCabes who supported the Rebellion alongside others including the Joys who opposed it. Find out how the Charitable [...]
Plots & Plotters: Belfast Charitable Society & the 1798 Rebellion (Clifton Street Cemetery Tour)
Clifton House 2 North Queen Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BelfastPlots & Plotters: Belfast Charitable Society & the 1798 Rebellion (Clifton Street Cemetery Tour) Come 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 spearhead 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, those like the McCrackens and McCabes who supported the Rebellion alongside others including the Joys who opposed it. Find out how the Charitable [...]
Women, Radicalism and Eighteenth-Century Belfast
Clifton House 2 North Queen Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BelfastWhat did it mean to be radical and dissenting in eighteenth-century Belfast? Belfast’s culture of religious and political dissent encouraged female participation, but not always on equal terms. Join us at Clifton House, the home of Belfast’s oldest charity, where Dr Catriona Kennedy will discuss how radical women like Mary Ann McCracken and Martha McTier’s charitable work allowed them to participate in, and influence, Belfast’s radical public sphere. This year, as part of our 250th Anniversary celebrations, Belfast Charitable Society hope to use our talks and events to help raise funds for our ongoing philanthropic work, therefore we will be [...]
Clifton House Open Day – July 2024
Clifton House 2 North Queen Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BelfastClifton House Open Day Clifton House will open its doors to the public on Saturday 20th July, 2024 Come along between 10am - 12pm for a unique opportunity to step inside and explore one of Belfast’s oldest and most beautiful buildings on its 250th anniversary year. 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. You will also have an opportunity to view a brand new display of artefacts including the 'Mysterious Medical Chest'. Please note that no booking [...]
Plots & Plotters: Belfast Charitable Society & the 1798 Rebellion (Clifton Street Cemetery Tour)
Plots & Plotters: Belfast Charitable Society & the 1798 Rebellion (Clifton Street Cemetery Tour) Come 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 spearhead 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, those like the McCrackens and McCabes who supported the Rebellion alongside others including the Joys who opposed it. Find out how the Charitable [...]
Plots & Plotters: Belfast Charitable Society & the 1798 Rebellion (Clifton Street Cemetery Tour)
Plots & Plotters: Belfast Charitable Society & the 1798 Rebellion (Clifton Street Cemetery Tour) Come 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 spearhead 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, those like the McCrackens and McCabes who supported the Rebellion alongside others including the Joys who opposed it. Find out how the Charitable [...]
‘Doing the Needful’ Belfast Charitable Society and its Founding Fathers
Clifton House 2 North Queen Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BelfastThe evening of Friday 28th August 1752 was cool in Belfast. After closing their businesses and homes, a group of nineteen merchants, burgesses (councillors) and a vicar, made their way to the George Inn at the corner of North Street and John Street (now Royal Avenue). It was there in the George Inn that these gentlemen formed the Belfast Charitable Society, to tackle poverty and help the poor. Join us at Clifton House, the home of Belfast’s oldest charity, where Aaron McIntyre will discuss the formation of the Belfast Charitable Society and the men who established it. This year, as part [...]