Tuesday, 27 June 2017

How to preserve Belfast City Cemetery's heritage?

Belfast City Council is seeking views on how best to preserve the heritage of City Cemetery.

The burial ground is the final resting place for many of Belfast’s key historical figures including Sir Edward Harland, Thomas Gallaher, William Pirrie, Daniel Joseph Jaffe, Sam Thompson, Rinty Monaghan and Margaret Byers, and could soon be protected and made more accessible thanks to funding raised by the Heritage Lottery Fund's Parks for People grant programme.

The project, which is currently in the development phase, will enable the council to restore key heritage assets, develop a community and education centre, improve visitor amenities, increase understanding of the site’s heritage, uncover hidden assets such as the ‘underground wall’ and even enhance City Cemetery’s biodiversity.

A series of public consultation events are going to be held this week. The feedback gathered will help develop the second stage of the application process.

Tuesday 27 June : Cultúrlann, 11am-1pm
Tuesday 27 June: Whiterock Library, 2pm-4pm
Wednesday 28 June: Kennedy Centre, 10am-4pm
Wednesday 28 June: Belfast Met Whiterock Road, 12:30pm-2pm
Thursday 29 June: Whiterock Community Centre, 12noon-2pm
Thursday 29 June: Whiterock Leisure Centre, 2pm-5pm
Friday 30 June: City Cemetery, 2pm-4pm

One of the oldest public cemeteries in Belfast, and the city’s first municipal burial ground when it opened in 1869, the City Cemetery is also the site of the Jewish burial ground, the poor ground and the mortuary chapel wall.

As well as housing many fine examples of Victorian, Edwardian and Gothic revival architecture, the City Cemetery provides an important insight into the history of Belfast. Approximately 225,153 people have been buried in the graveyard, including politicians, businessmen, inventors, industrialists, paupers and prostitutes.

For those not able to attend the consultation sessions, an online survey can be completed. The deadline is Monday, 17 July.