TOURS of Clifton Street Cemetery are to resume this weekend after more than an 18-month hiatus for five weeks only.
As one of the oldest graveyards in Belfast, Clifton Street Cemetery was the final resting place for thousands of people. From those buried in unmarked graves, to the wealthy merchants who, even in death, showed off the extent of their wealth through elaborate memorials.
Paula Reynolds, Chief Executive of Belfast Charitable Society said: “We opened the cemetery in 1797 in order to bury the dead from the Poorhouse. The cost of these burials was mostly funded by the charges placed on the wealthy who are buried there too. But wealth is not the only consideration, as it was also the resting place of many radicals and reformers from a time when Belfast was the Athens of the North, as well as industrial giants who helped to shape Belfast into a global powerhouse. It really does tell a vivid story of the time.
"We are delighted to be able to offer these tours again, as they are historically significant and help us to continue the work of the Society through the proceeds from ticket sales.”
While on the tour, White Badge guides will tell you tales of bodysnatching, and of those who tragically lost their lives in the 1832 cholera epidemic and the Irish Potato Famine. For many people however, one of the most significant stops is the McCracken family grave, where Mary Ann McCracken, the renowned abolitionist, philanthropist and reformer, was laid to rest at the age of 96.
Tours of Clifton Street Cemetery will run every Saturday and Sunday throughout October, in addition to the weekend immersive tours of Clifton House. Clifton House tours provide the backstory to the cemetery, and the Belfast Charitable Society, who cared for the poor of Belfast and beyond.
With the use of new augmented reality technology, you can now see how children learned in the nursery room; experience the ‘black hole’ – the punishment room used for men, women and children when they misbehaved; and feel and hear how it was to work the first cotton mill of the town.
New displays highlight the stories of thousands of people who sought sanctuary within its walls – you may even discover a family name amongst them.
For tour times, prices and to book the cemetery tour or our house tour, visit the Clifton website.
