City Cemetery Revealed

Tom Hartley, former Lord Mayor (2008), gave an excellent and most interesting presentation to the Club Monday 23 April on the History of the Belfast City Cemetery which will be 150 years old next year.

He displayed an 1857 map which showed in an area with 2 Iron Age raths the 47 acre cemetery which was opened in 1869 in the shape of a bell. Belfast’s first municipal burial ground was hailed as cross denominational and had 2 gates – a Protestant gate on the right hand side and a Catholic one on the left.

His well received address detailed the growth of the cemetery, its numerous features, monuments and memorials, prominent figures buried there and gave detailed descriptions of several such as: James Craig’s father; Sir Edward Harland; Vicount and Margaret Pirrie; David Welch (who took the Titanic and Olympic official photographs); Samuel Davidson (Sirocco Works) and many more.