Clifton Street Cemetery is one of the city’s most historic graveyards.

As the final resting place of Irish Republicans, British Unionists, prostitutes, clergymen, murderers and those murdered and an escaped slave, its heritage is diverse and compelling.  But it has been largely closed to the public for many years due to anti-social behaviour and its heritage is relatively unknown.

[quote=Joe Baker, project coordinator]“It will be absolutely fantastic to see this cemetery opened for the people of Belfast and further afield to enjoy."[/quote]

The £20,800 HLF grant will be used by the Friends of Clifton Street Cemetery (FOCSC) to open up the cemetery for selected periods from March to September.  As well as providing access to both the local community and visitors, twelve participants will learn about the heritage of the site and those buried there in order to achieve Blue Badge tour guide status. An information booklet will also be produced to raise awareness of this heritage. 

Announcing the award, Head of HLF Northern Ireland, Paul Mullan, said; “We are delighted that National Lottery players’ money is helping to open up this historic space.  Not only do the stories of those buried in Clifton Street Cemetery help us to understand more about life in Belfast through the ages, but the site itself is an important green space which people will now be able to enjoy using.” 

Project coordinator, Joe Baker, added: “It will be absolutely fantastic to see this cemetery opened for the people of Belfast and further afield to enjoy. There is so much history contained in this place that it is beyond belief, and to see local young people trained up to act as tour guides will be an added benefit of the project”.

Find out more

Read more on the Friends of Clifton Street Cemetery Facebook page.