Forrest Reid (1875-1947) was a Northern Irish novelist, literary critic, and translator, renowned for his significant contributions to literature. He resided at 20 Mount Charles in Belfast and was the youngest son in a Protestant family of twelve, six of…
As the spectre of war loomed over Europe, the British government made a strategic decision to station approximately 100,000 troops in Northern Ireland by April 1941. This military presence served a dual purpose, reflecting the complex geopolitical dynamics of the…
Out this morning with students and staff from the South Jones High School Marching Band – the Band of the Braves from Mississippi, USA – for a coach tour of Belfast’s main sights. We visited Queen’s University Belfast, the Peace…
Beautiful weather in Belfast today for a Troubles history tour around town. Brilliant group visiting from the USA and some thoughtful conversations about the messy, complicated history of this place. The people always make these tours special.
Smallpox, once a scourge of humanity, plagued societies for centuries until its eradication in 1980. Caused by the variola virus, it manifested with symptoms such as fever, malaise, and a distinctive rash of raised lesions. With mortality rates as high…
Out today (10 March 2026) in Belfast doing an @antislaverybelfast tour talking about Belfast’s fascinating history of slavery and abolitionism with students from Georgia in the USA.
Out at Tourism NI Marketing Masterclass in soggy Belfast with Dolores from Creative Tours Belfast.
The Whitla Hall, opened in 1949, serves as a meeting hall and lecture theatre at Queen’s University Belfast. Named after Sir William Whitla, a prominent Belfast doctor, lecturer, and MP, the hall commemorates his significant contributions to both medicine and…
In the year 1940, Belfast found itself grappling with a myriad of challenges that laid bare the city’s glaring vulnerabilities in the face of impending conflict. Despite the resolute assurances of its political leaders, the city stood ill-prepared for the…
On 15 January 2025, Northern Ireland (NI) Economy Minister Conor Murphy launched a plan for tourism expenditure to exceed £2 billion by 2035. Part of this target would be achieved by ‘the development and promotion of Peace Tourism’.[1] The plan…
