Clifton House Belfast

Clifton House Belfast Belfast Poor House (1774) now a Heritage & Conference Centre. Guided tours run most weekends Clifton House is more than just a meeting place.
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In addition to hosting weekends tours, during the week Clifton House is also available to hire as a unique event or conference venue. Clifton House is an impressive Georgian Building, set in beautiful landscaped gardens. Built in 1774 by Belfast Charitable Society, the building was used until the late 1880s as Belfast's Poor House. We offer our guests the ambience and tranquillity of a stately hom

e, making it an ideal choice for either an intimate, or a more formal event. Whether you are organising a training seminar, AGM, exhibition, conference, dinner or a reception, we offer a fully functional and self contained venue. Our contracted in-house caterers can offer a variety of menus to suit your budget and taste. We also provide complimentary on-site car parking for up to 70 cars. Two adjoining rooms are available, in addition to our impressive boardroom, should you require break off rooms for a larger event. We have state of the art video conferencing, free wifi and offer complimentary tea and coffee on you and your guests arrival. Our in-house event manager will provide you with a tailored and professional service and will work closely with you to ensure a successful and stress free experience. Many of Northern Ireland's leading public and private sector organisations have used Clifton House. Please feel free to contact Lucy Fraser if you would like any further information in relation to hosting an event in Clifton House or come visit us and see for yourself.

✨NEW Visitor Experience✨Mary Ann’s Poor House Tales is a 30-minute self-guided audio and AR tour experience of Clifton H...
26/10/2025

✨NEW Visitor Experience✨

Mary Ann’s Poor House Tales is a 30-minute self-guided audio and AR tour experience of Clifton House, during which you will hear all about Mary Ann McCracken...her work and endeavours, her family, and the people who shaped her journey.

This short tour also delves into some of the people who helped and supported her as well as some of the residents of the Poor House whose stories deserve to be told. As you listen to these stories and explore the house, you will stroll through the same hallways that Mary Ann walked every day.

This tour experience includes augmented reality (AR), bringing Mary Ann’s Poor House tales to life.

As Clifton House remains a working building availability for our new self-guided tours will change on a weekly basis. We recommend checking in advance to confirm available tour times and make your booking.

**Our first bookable date is this Sunday 2nd November, 10am - 12noon.**
Visit https://cliftonhousebelfast.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873679054

Visit Belfast www.whatsonni.com Discover Northern Ireland GreatPlace North Belfast North Belfast News

📖Stories from the Archive📖Here is another story from archives involving those who caused mischief in the Poor House. ...
24/10/2025

📖Stories from the Archive📖

Here is another story from archives involving those who caused mischief in the Poor House.

Today Dr Phil Mullen from Trinity College Dublin, took us on a fantastic journey through Irish history, and the hidden s...
23/10/2025

Today Dr Phil Mullen from Trinity College Dublin, took us on a fantastic journey through Irish history, and the hidden stories of black lives that spanned centuries.

These largely untold stories and histories of black people living in Ireland reach back to mythological tales and carry right through to place names still used today. Dr Phil is Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Black Studies and Deputy Director of the M.Phil in Gender, Race & Conflict at Trinity College Dublin. The work to uncover these people has only just begun, and we look forward to hearing more from Dr Mullen again in the future.

Thank you to our board member Siobhan Brown for Chairing the event, and to everyone who came along, in person or joined online and supported this important talk for Black History Month.

Trinity College Dublin

👩‍⚕️Meet Matron Howie👩‍⚕️In 1930 Eleanor Howie was appointed by the Belfast Charitable Society as Matron of the Old Peop...
22/10/2025

👩‍⚕️Meet Matron Howie👩‍⚕️

In 1930 Eleanor Howie was appointed by the Belfast Charitable Society as Matron of the Old People's Home and she served in this role until 1947. The Society reverted back to the original title of her role instead of Lady Superintendent.

Eleanor threw herself into the new role and was described by one resident as a “wonderful torch which had illuminated and brightened all the dark places”. Matron Howie took a special pride in providing the residents of Clifton House with various forms of entertainment in their twilight years. This image from Halloween 1937 shows the Matron in fancy dress with members of a carnival troop she organised for the resident’s Halloween Party.

We are seeking weekday (Mon - Fri) event volunteers to support our new Self-Guided Audio and AR Tour experience of Clift...
21/10/2025

We are seeking weekday (Mon - Fri) event volunteers to support our new Self-Guided Audio and AR Tour experience of Clifton House.

Would you be interested in giving up 3 hours per week to support our new visitor experience?

This event volunteer role does not require you to have any knowledge of our history, but we guarantee once you start to learn, you will want to hear more! What we need is a friendly face to welcome visitors, support them in downloading the self guided tour app or getting them set up with our own devices and headphones. At the end of the experience, you will also be required to facilitate any merchandise sales, gather feedback, and inform them of our other upcoming events. During quieter periods, we may also seek your support in some basic administrative duties.

This role will always be supported by staff members who work in Clifton House during the week. Full training on all the tasks expected of you will be provided.

For further details or to apply, please email [email protected]

Volunteer Now

✨Meet our Speaker for our talk this Thursday✨🌍 Meet Dr Phil Mullen!Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Black Studies,...
21/10/2025

✨Meet our Speaker for our talk this Thursday✨

🌍 Meet Dr Phil Mullen!
Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Black Studies, Deputy Director of the M.Phil in Gender, Race & Conflict at Trinity College Dublin.

With a background working in the NGO sector—Dr Mullen’s research centres on Africans and people of African descent in Ireland. Using Black Studies and decolonial perspectives, she explores what it truly means to be Black in Ireland today, moving beyond the migrant narrative to include sociohistorical and intercommunal dimensions.

If you would like to hear more about Dr Mullen's research why not join our lunchtime talk this Thursday!

For more info and tickets 🎟 click on the link: https://cliftonhousebelfast.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873676309

20/10/2025

Over the next couple of months, we will shining a spotlight on the inspiring stories from our archive of the incredible people who made up the Belfast Charitable Society as well as the important decisions they made in the past. Including this one below, on sourcing building materials to construct the Belfast Poor House.

Ulster Folk Museum, Cultra

To celebrate , meet Nancy Rice—born into hardship & was admitted to the Belfast Poor House after her father’s death in ...
17/10/2025

To celebrate , meet Nancy Rice—born into hardship & was admitted to the Belfast Poor House after her father’s death in 1817. Thanks to the Belfast Charitable Society, Nancy received care and an education which opened doors to a better future. She later dedicated her life, with the support of Mary Ann McCracken, to caring for children as a schoolteacher in the Poor House Infant School, embodying kindness and resilience. Nancy’s story shows how education and compassion can transform lives and lift communities out of poverty.

Belfast Charitable Society now has its own social media channels. Officially launching today, on the International Day f...
17/10/2025

Belfast Charitable Society now has its own social media channels. Officially launching today, on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. A fitting day considering the purpose of the charity was established - to address disadvantage.

For over 270 years, Belfast Charitable Society has worked to improve the lives in Belfast and beyond. Today, our focus remains as vital as ever. Over the next three years, we will support projects that:

- Address educational underachievement (delivered in schools through the Mary Ann Foundation)

- Tackle homelessness and its root causes

- Support children’s development, especially during the crucial first 1,000 days of life

- Drive community regeneration through heritage, education, and local infrastructure

- Encourage social innovation, connecting older people to services and addressing hygiene poverty, such as through community “social laundries”

From our beginnings in 1752 to the challenges of today, our mission remains clear — to help those most in need.

Follow us to find out more and please help us build our audiences by liking and sharing 💙. You can follow the account here (Belfast Charitable Society ) and also on the following channels:

Instagram -
LinkedIN - www.linkedin.com/company/belfastcharitablesociety


🌍 ONE WEEK TO GO! Uncover Ireland’s Hidden Black History with Dr. Phil Mullen 🌍 Did you know that Ireland’s rich history...
16/10/2025

🌍 ONE WEEK TO GO! Uncover Ireland’s Hidden Black History with Dr. Phil Mullen 🌍

Did you know that Ireland’s rich history includes stories of Black lives that span centuries—long before modern times? From mythological tales to Viking settlements, from the beaches of Waterford to the streets of Belfast, Black history in Ireland is more intertwined with the national story than many realize.

Join us next week for an eye-opening talk with Dr. Phil Mullen, as she unearths the long, largely unknown history of Black people in Ireland.

📅 Date: Thursday 23 October at 1pm
📍 Location: Clifton House and online
🎟 Tickets and Info: https://cliftonhousebelfast.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873676309



Visit Belfast DouglassWeek Discover Northern Ireland www.whatsonni.com

📚Tales from the Archive📖Step back in time with us as we share stories from the archive about the remarkable people who c...
16/10/2025

📚Tales from the Archive📖

Step back in time with us as we share stories from the archive about the remarkable people who called the Poor House their home. The first of which we would like to tell is about a woman called Prudence Philpot.

Great morning connecting with Queen's University Belfast Liberal Arts students this morning through GreatPlace North Bel...
15/10/2025

Great morning connecting with Queen's University Belfast Liberal Arts students this morning through GreatPlace North Belfast - a great way to connect people with their local history and heritage.

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