Historical places of interest ranging from castles to cottages, domains to dolmens, battlegrounds to birthplaces. Places of interest to us and also, hopefully, to you.
Clifton Street Cemetery – a historic burying ground with tales of the great and the good, of Cholera and Famine, poverty and of rebellion.
O’Hanlon’s Letters, collected in “Walks Among the Poor of Belfast”, is a fascinating insight into the lives of Belfast’s poor in 1852
The Robinson & Cleaver store opened in 1888 as the Royal Irish Linen Warehouse. Now closed, this remains one of Belfast’s iconic buildings
A brief history of the castles built in Belfast over the centuries, the battles and ownership changes and the loss of Belfast Castle to fire.
Belfast Waterworks was built in the 1830s to supply water to north Belfast. It is now a popular park with Cave Hill views.
Mallusk Burying Ground is another old cemetery with a few tales to tell – featuring a wealth of history and information.
The construction of Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Belfast in 1784 with widespread Protestant support reflected the end of the Penal Laws
St George’s Church is a place of peace within Belfast’s city centre that visitors cherish, on a site used for worship since Capello de Vado
Carrickfergus Castle is named for Fergus Mór, King of Dalriada (Dál Riata). His kingdom covered areas of north-east Ulster & western Scotland
The first Belfast Castle was built by the Normans in Belfast city centre in the late 12th century. A second castle, made of stone and timber, was later constructed by Sir Arthur Chichester, Baron of Belfast, on the same site in 1611. This castle was subsequently destroyed with no existing traces outside Read more…
WW2 Normandy and Utah Beach may be an unusual setting for Belfast Entries but we thought it would be worthwhile following up on Operation Overlord and deployment of some of those American troops based in Northern Ireland during World War 2 We’ve previously looked at the history of Brownlow House Read more…
We’ve previously looked at the wider history of Brownlow House, Lurgan and mentioned its role as the Headquarters of American troops stationed in Northern Ireland during World War 2. With the opening of the Brownlow HQ WW2 Exhibition in the basement of Brownlow House it is worthwhile visiting to learn Read more…
This striking mansion was built for Charles Brownlow M.P. in 1833, and designed by Edinburgh architect William Henry Playfair (1790 – 1857). Brownlow was made 1st Baron Lurgan in 1839 in thanks for his services to the Whig Party. Brownlow House, also known as Brownlow Castle and Lurgan Castle, is Read more…
If you walked along Belfast’s streets a hundred years ago, you would have encountered a very different range of merchandise for sale.
Friar’s Bush is Belfast’s oldest Christian burial site. The oldest legible headstone is of a Thomas Gibson who died in 1717.
A history of Clifton House which opened on 17th September 1774 by the Belfast Charitable Society.