‘Dearly, Departed’: Bodysnatching and Clifton Street Cemetery in 19th Century Belfast
There was a time in Belfast when the bodies of the deceased rose from their graves…but not without some help! In the 19th century body-snatchers were at large in the local cemeteries, stealing the bodies of the recently deceased for dissection by local doctors. But why did people go to such lengths? Why were these bodies needed? And how were they stopped? Join us at Clifton House, where James Cromey, Archive Coordinator of the North Belfast Heritage Cluster will discuss why body-snatchers were such a concern during the early 1800’s, with a specific look at how they impacted the decisions surrounding Clifton [...]
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 [...]
Christmas in the Poorhouse Tour
Join us this December on our special seasonal Christmas tour of Clifton House. See inside this beautiful Georgian building and while surrounded by our gorgeous traditional decorations, hear from our expert guides what life within the Poor House over the festive season. ‘Christmas in the Poorhouse’ will often stir scenes of Scrooge and other Dicken’s classics. However original research from our archives tells a very different tale. One of traditions, festive foods, holidays and cheer. Our experienced tour guides will tell the story of those from Belfast Charitable Society who were responsible for bringing some festive merriment into the house in [...]
Plots and Plotters: Clifton Street Cemetery and the 1798 Irish Rebellion
Clifton House 2 North Queen Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BelfastCome and learn about the origins and of the United Irishmen and the 1798 Irish rebellion, told from the perspectives of their leaders and opponents who lie in peace in Clifton Street Cemetery. This talk will be taken by Colin Shaw, one of Clifton House’s very own volunteers. Colin is a fantastic tour guide and very knowledgeable on Belfast’s early history including the 1798 Irish Rebellion in Belfast. This talk is kindly funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs Reconciliation Fund. Please click on the button below to book your in-person [...]
The Great Famine in Belfast: Exceptionalism versus Experience
Clifton House 2 North Queen Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BelfastThe Great Famine, An Gorta Mór, was the watershed moment of the nineteenth century, shaping Ireland and beyond through the high death toll and mass emigration. There has long been a myth that the suffering of the period 1845 - 51 did not affect Ulster, particularly its booming principal town of Belfast. However, recent research shows that Belfast was dramatically affected. This talk uncovers how and why Belfast suffered in the late 1840s and delves into the specifics of how institutions like the Belfast Poor House, hospitals and the workhouse worked together in an attempt to ease the problems facing the [...]
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 [...]
Great Place North Belfast Walking Tour
St Anne's Cathedral Donegall Street, BelfastJoin the North Belfast Heritage Cluster on a walk round some of the most historic buildings in North Belfast. This tour will showcase the unique heritage of inner north Belfast and tell the stories of the hidden history of the area. On your journey North, you will hear stories involving a palace, a biscuit factory and how a cricket ball may have changed the course of history. (The work of the Cluster is made possible by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Belfast Charitable Society). Click here to book your tickets: Planning your visit Walking tour [...]
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 [...]