Clifton House Belfast

15/11/2025

🎄Christmas Competition Time 🎄

Christmas in Belfast will officially launch today with the fantastic annual light switch taking place tonight in front of the City Hall. To celebrate the official start to Christmas, we are offering two free tickets* for our special Christmas event, taking place on Sunday 7th December.

Designed just for adults, you and a companion can enjoy some Victorian Christmas craft and hear about the festive traditions of the Poor House, as well as enjoy some festive refreshments within our beautiful entrance hall.

To enter the competition, simply like, share and comment on this post, tagging the person you would most like to join you if you happen to win. The competition will close on Friday 21st November at 12noon, so don't delay.

Visit Belfast Belfast City Council www.whatsonni.com LoveBelfast

Good luck

* T's and C's
-Competition tickets are for the 9.45am or 1.45pm sessions only.
-If you win, we will contact you via Facebook and publicly announce your name as the winner, by tagging you in a post.
-We will NEVER ask you for card details or any personal details in order to avail of the prize.
-This competition is not affiliated with Facebook.

14/11/2025

Today marks the start of Disability History Month!

Did you know that before the establishment of specialised educational institutions for children, the Belfast Charitable Society made notable efforts to provide literary and vocational education to disabled children, despite the prevailing inadequacies in education for the disabled in early 19th Century Ireland.

Reports from the time, such as the Examiner’s Report in 1813, indicate that children with disabilities like William Geelis, who had impaired vision, and Hugh Caulfield and James Small, who had limited use of their limbs, were integrated into classes with their peers, highlighting the society's commitment to their education and welfare.

12/11/2025

In this new volunteer feature, we want to shine a spotlight on our incredible volunteers who help to share and protect our history with visitors to Clifton House

This week we want to spotlight our volunteer of over two years, Colin.

💬 Why did Colin start volunteering?
“I’ve always been fascinated by the history of 1798 in Belfast, and Clifton House — along with the Belfast Charitable Society — tells such an important part of that story. It really brings the city’s history to life.”

📖 Favourite story to tell, relating to Clifton Street Cemetery
“One that always captures people’s imagination is about Nicholas Bourdot, a French prisoner of war captured after the Thurot expedition in 1760. He was so impressed by Belfast that he stayed after his release, setting up as a ladies’ and gentlemen’s hairdresser and perfumer on Castle Street — quite a career change from French soldier and sailor!” Nicholas Bourdot is buried in Clifton Street Cemetery.

🏛️ Favourite artefact:
“I love the two donations boards in the stairwell. They’re a real ‘who’s who’ of Belfast society around the time of the 1798 rebellion and help to connect visitors directly with the people who shaped the city.”

🏠 Favourite feature of Clifton House:
“The original floor in the entrance hall — it’s humbling to think that for over 250 years, people from all walks of life have walked across those very same tiles.”

❤️ What Colin enjoys most about volunteering:
“Meeting visitors who are genuinely inspired by what they learn here. You can see when someone is heading off to do their own research, eager to uncover more of Belfast’s history — that’s really rewarding.”

Thank you, Colin, for helping to keep our history alive and for inspiring others to discover the remarkable stories of Clifton House and Belfast’s past! 👏

Clifton House is currently looking for Event Volunteers, to support our new visitor experience coming in January. If you are interested, please contact us via [email protected] or visit https://cliftonbelfast.com/volunteer/

11/11/2025

🚨 Don't Miss Our Final Historical Talk of the Year! 🚨

This Thursday, join us at Clifton House or tune in online for an intriguing look into the darker side of Belfast's history in the 19th century. A time in which body-snatchers were terrorizing local cemeteries, stealing bodies for medical dissection. But what drove them to such lengths? Why was there such a demand for bodies? And how did the community put an end to these gruesome practices?

Our special guest, James Cromey, Archive & Project Coordinator of the GreatPlace North Belfast, will delve into this fascinating chapter of local history.

🔔 Reminder: If you can't attend in person, we’ve got you covered with an online option!

This is our last historical talk of the year—don’t miss out! See you Thursday!

🎟Tickets: https://cliftonhousebelfast.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873675565

11/11/2025

Clifton House, the former Poor House of Belfast, was built at the top of Donegall Street by the Belfast Charitable Society in 1774. The street at that time was known as Linen Hall Street, and was later re-named Donegall Street to reflect the influence of the aristocratic landowning family — the Arthur Chichester, 1st Marquess of Donegall and his successors, who owned much of the land in and around Belfast at the time.

This historic street has changed a great deal since the Poor House opened its doors in 1774. Thanks to Community Places / , you can now have your say in shaping the future of this important and heritage rich street in Belfast.

Engagement events are taking place at the following dates and times:

- Monday 17th November, 4pm - 8pm, Redeemer Central, 101 Donegall Street
- Tuesday 18th November, 10am - 3pm, The Reporter, 1 Union Street
- Wednesday 19th November, 12noon - 2pm, Redeemer Central, 101 Donegall Street.

If you are unable to attend the engagement events, but would still like your say, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KK3WXRM and complete the short survey.

GreatPlace North Belfast Clifton House Belfast

10/11/2025

08/11/2025

Last year, our first-ever Victorian Christmas experience was a sell-out success — and by popular demand, it’s back!

Join us on Sunday 7th December for a 'Very Victorian Crafty Christmas' and enjoy a short Christmas tour of historic Clifton House, the former Belfast Poor House, beautifully decorated for the season. Then, get hands-on with a very Victorian craft activity, where you’ll make your own traditional Christmas cornucopia to take home.

🎟️ Tickets are just £15 per person, and include some festive refreshments

Spaces are limited and tickets are selling fast, so don’t miss your chance to celebrate Christmas the old-fashioned way — with history, creativity, and a touch of Victorian charm.

Book now before they’re gone! Visit https://cliftonbelfast.com/events/a-very-victorian-crafty-christmas-at-the-poor-house/

Kathleen's Attic Visit Belfast Discover Northern Ireland www.whatsonni.com LoveBelfast LoveBelfast Christmas Love Heritage NI

06/11/2025

🚨 Only One Week to Go! 🚨

Step back into Belfast’s haunting past — a time when the dead dared to rise from their graves, and shadowy figures prowled the cemeteries under cover of darkness. But why? And what secrets did they hide?

🔪 In the 19th century, body-snatchers were on the prowl, stealing fresh corpses to supply local doctors with specimens for their experiments. The stakes were high, and the danger even higher. But how did this underground trade come to an end?

Join us at Clifton House for an unforgettable evening as James Cromey, Archive & Project Coordinator of GreatPlace North Belfast , unearths the chilling stories behind Belfast’s body-snatching scare. Discover the mysteries, the fears, and the fight to put an end to this sinister practice.

🗓️ Date: Thurs 13 November at 7pm
📍 Location: Clifton House and online via Zoom
🎟 Tickets: https://cliftonhousebelfast.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873675565
Don’t miss your chance to delve into Belfast’s eerie history — it’s a story you won’t want to miss!

05/11/2025

Yesterday was , a day to celebrate and acknowledge those with disabilities, and to make commitments to make services more accessible for them.

This time last year, Clifton House hosted Cormac Leonard, who delivered a fascinating talk on Belfast's Deaf Communities in ISL, which was interpreted in BSL. This was the first talk we have facilitated for the deaf community, and were delighted to welcome them to Clifton House.

The talk by Cormac Leonard can be watched back in its entirety here: https://youtu.be/4jpAcmZPuYU?si=TXRICgmKZCNkWDDq

Since last year, we have held specialist tours for those with sight and hearing loss, and plan to run more offerings next year. We have also committed to improving the accessibility information on our website, which will be available next month.

We will continue to strive to make our offerings inclusive.

04/11/2025

Thank you to Visit Belfast for coming along to experience our new Self-Guided audio and AR Tour yesterday. We were delighted to welcome you, and even more delighted that you all thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

This BRAND NEW tour offering is Mary Ann McCracken led, with many of the stories being told taken first hand from her writings within the Ladies Committee Books, still held here in Clifton House. By hearing about her influence within the house, and that of her families, you will also get to learn more about this remarkable and formidable Belfast woman, as well as what life was like in 18th century Belfast.

The experience will be available to book soon. In the mean time, find out more on our website - www.cliftonbelfast.com

03/11/2025

📰 November at Clifton House! 🏡

This month, we're continuing to delve into our rich archive to share fascinating stories of the people who called Clifton House home and those who worked here over the years. Discover the history and human stories that make our heritage so special!

🗓️ Plus, due to popular demand, join us on 13th November at 7pm for a captivating talk by James Cromey from the Place North Belfast project. He'll be exploring the intriguing world of bodysnatching in 19th-century Belfast—a thrilling glimpse into a dark chapter of our city's history!
Please note: Public tours won’t be running this month, but don’t worry — our festive season is just around the corner! 🎄✨

Get ready for our Christmas Tours and the return of A Very Victorian Crafty Christmas in December! Stay tuned for more details and update your calendar for some festive fun.

For more info visit: https://cliftonbelfast.com/events/