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President's Autumn Talk Series
An Iconic Belfast Institution: The Belfast Charitable Society and its Pivotal Role in the Social, Economic and Political Life of Georgian and Victorian Belfast
We are delighted to announce that our President’s Talk series returns each Thursday evening in November 2022. This year the talks will features an array of speakers from historical and legal fields who will explore the shared history and contested narratives tied to the Society and the developing Belfast of that time.The Autumn 2022 President’s Talk Series includes:
- Raymond Gillespie – The origins of the Belfast Charitable Society and the problem of poverty in Georgian Belfast.
- Kenneth Dawson – A House Divided: Belfast, its Charitable Society and the 1798 Rebellion (7pm 10th November).
- Prof Christine Kinealy -The Poor Law and Belfast’s Hidden Famine (7pm 17th November).
- Sir Ronnie Weatherup and guest – ‘Marquis’s & Marriage: A Legal Case Study of the Donegall Family’ and ‘I do and I don’t – The Yelverton case’ (7pm 24th November).
To find out more or to block book all four lectures for the discounted price of £20, visit: https://cliftonbelfast.com/event/autumn-lecture-series-2022/
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***Mary Ann McCracken Walking Tour finishes 28th October***
Our Hero of Belfast: Mary Ann McCracken Walking Tour will finish up for the year on Friday 28th October 2022. So if you have not had a chance to join us, now's the time.
The walking tour leaves from Clifton House every Friday at 2pm, and finishes near Belfast City Hall (2pm - 4.30pm). This popular walking tour takes you through the same streets Mary Ann walked over 250 years before. And while our expert guides lead you through Belfast, you will hear more about this remarkable abolitionist, philanthropist and social reformer.
Ticket price includes a complimentary tea or coffee. For more information and to book please visit our website using the link below.
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***In Life & Death Tour finishes 13th November 2022***
Our In Life and Death: Clifton House and Clifton Street Cemetery Tour will finish on Sunday 13th November for the year, returning in February 2022. Starting at Clifton House, the tour will share the history of the Belfast Poor House – 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 the use of our Augmented Reality, you will see how the children learned in the nursery school, experience the ‘Black Hole’ – the punishment room for those who misbehaved. Feel and hear how it was to work in the first cotton mill of the town and how Belfast influenced the rest of the world. And much more!
Afterwards visit Clifton Street Cemetery and see the final resting place of radicals including Henry Joy and Mary Ann McCracken, Thomas McCabe & William Drennan; poets and artists; American slaves; and wealthy families buried alongside one of the largest famine graveyards in Ireland.
To check availability and to find out more, visit https://cliftonbelfast.com/whats-on/tours/, or book using the button below.
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***Children's Crafty Christmas***
Our Children's Crafty Christmas tours return this year, and will run every Saturday and Sunday at 11am throughout the month of December. Your little ones will hear about what it was like to be a child growing up in the Poor House, particularly over the festival season. And everyone will get to make a traditional Christmas decoration for their tree at home, as well as enjoy some refreshments in our entrance hall.
Bookings for these events will go live in 2 - 3 weeks, so keep an eye on our Facebook page or on our tour page for more information.
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Still relevant after 270 Years
Belfast Charitable Society, Northern Ireland’s oldest charity, recently celebrated its 270th birthday and proved that it still remains as relevant and true to its original objective of addressing poverty and helping those in need.
As household bills soar with the cost-of-living spiralling beyond many people’s means, the Society announced that it will release £270,000 funding through a series of partner organisations, from October, to support practical solutions that directly help those suffering the most. It will also use its influence to encourage other funders to increase their support at this critical time.
David Watters, Chair of Belfast Charitable Society, explains “It is a sad indictment that the need today is just as great as it was 270 years ago when the Society was established. People are struggling to feed and clothe their children and pay essential bills; and only too soon will struggle to heat their homes. This can’t be ignored, and families and older people need help. We are stepping up to do what we can and want to encourage others to do the same.”
More information on the anniversary fund will be available soon.
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Black History Month
October is Black History Month, an annual observance recognising the important contribution of black people and events in our history and today.
The Belfast Charitable Society has not shied away from the fact that its members, back in the late eighteenth century, were a mismatch of those who benefited significantly from the slave trade – either through the ownership of plantations or related business activity – and another group of people who were part of the abolitionist movement and anti-slavery voice of the day.
We recognise that by focusing too much on these individuals, we too are covering up the real conversations that need to be addressed on the horrors of slavery at that time, and the ongoing legacy that still impacts society today.
Over the coming weeks, we will try and address this through our social media posts. Follow us on Facebook to find out more: https://www.facebook.com/CliftonHouseBelfast
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Listen again to our President, Sir Ronnie Weatherup and David Olusoga speak about the juxtaposition between philanthropy and slavery at the launch of the Mary Ann McCracken Foundation last year.
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Become a friend of Clifton House and support the philanthropic activities of the Belfast Charitable Society, the Mary Ann McCracken Foundation and the heritage work of Clifton House.
Benefits include:
- Priority notifications of talks, tours and events
- 20% off ticket prices for all events (including our President's Talk Series)
- 20% off merchandise
Individual rate £30 (annual membership)
Your membership fee can be allocated across all three organisations or you can choose to have it directed towards a single entity.
Email lu...@cliftonbelfast.org.uk for an application form
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