Miss Isabella “Ella” Barbour Pirrie (1857-1929) was a pioneering nurse in Belfast. She was the first nurse at the Belfast Union Workhouse Infirmary and founded its nursing school. Later, she became the first matron of the Deaconess Hospital in Edinburgh.…
The park’s main attraction is the Belfast Wheel, a unique bronze map of the city donated by the New Belfast Community Arts Initiative. The wheel is divided into 12 segments, each featuring a design from different community groups, representing their…
The Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, known as the ‘new Poor Law’, reformed the system of support for the poor in August 1834. The Act grouped local parishes into Poor Law unions, managed by over 600 locally elected Boards…
The Moravian Church on University Road was purpose-built for a Moravian congregation in 1871, designed in the Gothic style. The Moravian Church is one of the oldest Protestant denominations, tracing its origins back to the Bohemian Reformation in the 15th…
I’m running two courses as part of the QUB Open Learning programme for 2025 In the Autum I’m looking at the social history of Belfast in the 19th century and in the Spring of 2026 I explore Belfast’s slavery past.…
Helen Lewis (1916-2009) was a pioneer of modern dance in Belfast and a survivor of the Holocaust. Born into a German-speaking Jewish family in Bohemia, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (now the Czech Republic), she moved to Prague in…
Union Theological College serves as the primary theological and ministerial training institution for the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. Established in 1853, the College is renowned for its Renaissance Revival architectural style, featuring a grand Doric porch and Baroque attic, designed…
Isabella Maria Susan Tod (18 May 1836 – 8 December 1896) was a Scottish-born campaigner for women’s civil and political equality, active in Northern Ireland. She lobbied for women’s rights to education and property, the dignified treatment of sex workers,…
Fitzroy Avenue Presbyterian Church has a rich history dating back to its establishment in 1813, making it one of the earliest Presbyterian congregations in Belfast. Since 1874, it has been located in the University area of the city. The church…
In May 2025, I delivered my 250th tour as a certified Green Badge guide — a milestone that gave me pause to reflect on how I got here, what I’ve learned and what I might have done differently. This article…
