Sat
22 Jan

Tour

Legal Belfast

On this fascinating tour members had a unique opportunity to visit the landmark legal buildings of Belfast including the Belfast County Court Office, Laganside Courts, the Bar library and the Royal Courts of Justice, spanning over 100 years of architectural styles.

Thu
27 Jan

Lecture

Full Irish: new architecture in Ireland

From Georgian cities to modernist masterpieces, architecture in Ireland, North and South, has a long history of inventiveness and vigour. The last fifteen years of economic boom witnessed a remarkable development in contemporary architecture and commitment to design quality in some key projects. In this illustrated talk Dr Sarah A. Lappin discussed the nature of twenty-first century Irish architectural identity examining several projects by architecture firms based on the island, from rural domestic to large urban scale projects.

Wed
09 Feb

Meeting

Annual General Meeting of the Society 2011

Guest Speaker: David J. Griffin, Irish Architectural Archive

Thu
24 Feb

Social event

Art Deco evening

The Strand is Northern Ireland's last remaining Art Deco cinema still in use, and this family-run enterprise makes for a highly distinctive cinematic experience - a far cry from the anonymous multiplex. Mike Catto, broadcaster and film expert, gave an illuminating talk about Art Deco's dominance as the architectural and decorative style for cinemas in the British Isles, Europe and the USA.

The foremost architect of cinema's golden age in Northern Ireland was John McBride Neill, designer of the Curzon, The Troxy, Tonic, and our host venue, the Strand. The evening ended with a screening of 'The Uncle Jack', by Neill's nephew, local filmmaker John T Davis, chronicling the architect's work and their relationship, poignantly in his only working cinema now left standing.

Fri
25 Feb

Traditional skills seminar

Home & Dry - Lunch-time talk on 'Lime'

In collaboration with Home & Dry we have created a new series of lunch-time talks on traditional skills with an expert practitioner aimed at home-owners, architects and building professionals. A range of building crafts are covered in the series including lime; stone/slate; joinery; metalwork and stained glass.

This seminar focused on working with lime and was presented by the Building Limes Forum Ireland.
of the Stone/Slate event.

Sat
12 Mar

Tour & social event

Bangor Castle & the Royal Ulster Yacht Club with Society Lunch

This was an exceptional opportunity to study the architecture and history of two of Bangor's most prominent buildings. Bangor Castle, designed by Wm. Burn as a residence for Lord Bangor in 1852, with a short lecture given by the Museum Manager, Mr. Ian Wilson. At the Royal Ulster Yacht Club we enjoyed a reception on arrival followed by a wonderful two course lunch served in the elegant new dining room designed by Consarc. After lunch a short talk on the architecture of the club was given by Dawson Stelfox and its yachting history given by Club Historian Michael McKee. It was an honour to be granted such unique access to both buildings!

Sat
26 Mar

Tour

The industrial heritage of the Titanic Quarter

This fascinating tour charted the development of ship building facilities on Queen's Island, now the focus of 'Titanic Quarter' a major mixed-use redevelopment. It was led by the industrial archaeologist Fred Hamond accompanied by Dawson Stelfox and Graeme Moore from Consarc Conservation. We viewed three dry docks - Hamilton (1867), Alexander (1889), and Thompson (1911) with conducted tours of the Thompson Dock pump house and Harland & Wolff's headquarters including the drawing offices.

Sat
09 Apr

Tour

A tale of two conservation areas - Portaferry & Strangford

The Conservation Areas of Portaferry and Strangford are sited one to the east, the other to the west, of the narrow channel that joins Strangford Lough to the Irish Sea. Though they are in many ways similar, the two villages have very different histories and have experienced different fortunes in recent years. Our guides for the day were Will Brown, Project Manager from Portaferry Regeneration Ltd, Nick Brown of the Prince's Regeneartion Trust, Professor Malachy McEldowney, QUB and Emma Mathers DOE Conservation Officer .

Wed
13 Apr

Talk & Film

Sinclair Seamen's Church

For this special screening by Belfast Film Festival, The Ulster Architectural Heritage Society and Forum for Alternative Belfast presented Moby Dick, to a packed audience. Marcus Patton gave an enlightening and humourous talk highlighting this beautiful building and its architectural heritage.

The fascinating Sinclair Seamen's Church is one of the most famous places of worship in the Belfast and the perfect location for a screening of Moby Dick. Belfast has a great seafaring tradition and this church has become a museum/shrine to all things maritime. It was built to meet the spiritual needs of sailors coming into the port. Designed by Charles Lanyon, the pulpit is the front part of a ship and navigation lights and the ship's bell are both integral features of the church's design.

The church is located on Corporation Street in Belfast's Sailortown.

Thu
28 Apr

Traditional skills seminar

Home & Dry Lunch-time talk on 'Stone/Slate'

Lunch-time talks on traditional skills with an expert practitioner aimed at home-owners, architects and building professionals. This seminar focused on working with stone/slate.

Fri
20 May »

Sun
22 May

Tour

A weekend in Leinster

The Society's visit to Leinster began with a visit to Howth Castle. We then travelled to Swords where we had a tour of the award-winning Fingal County Hall by architects Bucholz McEvoy. Following a walkabout in Swords and a visit to the Castle we ended the day at Rush Library. This is an interesting church conversion by McCullough Mulvin Architects.

On Sunday we visited Collon Church, one of Ireland's most distinctive architectural landmarks. Then we travelled to Drogheda to see the remarkable plasterwork in St Peter's Church. During the day we visited Dowth Hall and had our picnic lunches in the beautiful grounds of Killineer house. We concluded our tour at Barmeath, where we admired this interesting house with its amazing silhouette. We walked in the garden too and admired the work of Thomas Wright, the eighteenth century landscape designer.

Thu
02 Jun »

Thu
06 Oct

Walking tour

The birthplace of Belfast, Cathedral Quarter walking tour

This fascinating walking tour of the 'Cathedral Quarter' went back to the place where the city's roots first took hold and explained how we can influence its future. The tour revealed a wealth of buildings including the Assembly Rooms, the Commercial Buildings, the News Letter building and the Ulster Bank, all of which are listed and this part of the city is also covered by Conservation Area designations, affording unlisted buildings protection too.

We are lobbying to defend the area's character from demolition and make the case for a more thoughtful approach to regeneration. See the UAHS campaign pages 'Royal Exchange' for further information.

The walking tour was been devised by our talented volunteer, Rosaleen Hickey, an Architectural History graduate of Edinburgh University.

Sat
11 Jun

Tour

Contemporary Belfast Houses

After last year's immense interest in contemporary architecture we visited two important homes which will undoubtedly form part of our future heritage. These two individual houses, one in Holywood and the other in the Ravenhill area of Belfast, are by local award winning practices Hackett Hall McKnight and Twenty Two Over Seven. Both Projects won RIBA and RSUA awards and were shortlisted for the prestigious 'Manser Medal' which encourages innovation in house design.

The 'Dowling House' by Hackett Hall McKnight is located in a mature suburban setting where the predominant context is of Victorian Villas within large gardens, in Holywood. Alistair Hall from HHMcK gave a brief outline of the scheme before the tour, a rare opportunity for members to visit this private home.

The 'McGonigle House' by Twenty Two Over Seven is a family home, on a difficult backland site, built to a modest budget and referencing modernist and vernacular styles. The architect and owner Keiran McGonigle was on hand to introduce the project.

Wed
22 Jun

Tour

Dublin Walking Tour

Members enjoyed an afternoon's visit to three Dublin city centre properties, within the classic Fitzwilliam/ Merrion Square area of the Dublin Square area. Paddy Shaffrey was our guide at The Irish Landmark Trust property, Merrion Mews, a recently refurbished gem, the only remaining 18th century mews in Dublin. The house retains much of its historic character and fabric and owns one of the few surviving gardens in Merrion Square also retaining a 19th century design and layout. We then visited the Irish Architectural Archive and enjoyed a commentary and tour by Colm O'Riordan. We ended the afternoon at the refurbished Georgian House Museum with a guided tour from the basement to the attic viewing rooms furnished as they would have been from 1790 to 1820.

Fri
24 Jun

Traditional skills seminar

Home & Dry lunch-time talk on 'Joinery'

Lunch-time talks on traditional skills with an expert practitioner aimed at home-owners, architects and building professionals. This seminar will focus on joinery.

45 minute talk and 45 minute Questions & Answers
Where applicable, these events contribute towards Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements.

£15 per person/session or £50 when booking all five seminars & includes lunch.

Please contact UAHS to book:
tel. 028 9055 0213
info@uahs.org.uk

THIS COURSE IS TO BE RESCHEDULED

12-2pm
UAHS Office

Sun
31 Jul

Tour

Lough Neagh aboard the Maid of Antrim

The shores of Lough Neagh and the Lower Bann are well endowed with the relics of the human past. On this five hour return boat journey from Antrim to Portglenone, our voyagers were entertained by our expert guides Lord O'Neill and Terence Reeves-Smyth along with an array of prehistoric settlement sites, medieval ruins, country houses, demesnes and the relics of some of the industries that generated Ulster's wealth over the past few centuries.

Sat
13 Aug

Tour

Court house to castle in County Armagh

Members enjoyed visits to The Old Courthouse, Markethill - built in 1842; the Grade A listed Gosford Castle designed in the 'Norman Revival' style; St Johns' Church in Mullaghbrack and the former rectory Mullaghbrack House.

Fri
26 Aug

Traditional skills seminar

Home & Dry - Lunch-time talk on 'Metalwork'

Lunch-time talks on traditional skills with an expert practitioner aimed at home-owners, architects and building professionals. This seminar focused on metalwork.

Sat
03 Sep

Tour

A visit to Meath and West Meath

A tour to two important and interesting houses in Counties Meath and Westmeath. Headfort, a great house with a plain exterior was designed by George Semple for the Taylour family in 1760-70. Robert Adam provided the designs for the suave neo-classical interiors between 1771 and 1775; his only work on an Irish country house to survive in its entirety. The Headfort Trust is undertaking a conservation scheme for the house and in association with the Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government, the World Monuments Fund and the Irish Georgian Society has completed the restoration of the superb Robert Adam decorative schemes in the Eating Parlour. The largest of the principal rooms it was formed from four smaller rooms and is finely proportioned - a double cube with a coved ceiling.

Killua Castle is an interesting and imposing Gothic-style castle which has been described as 'one of the most romantic demesnes in Ireland' on account of the heavily wooded parkland landscape, the lake and its many follies. Killua Castle is the ancestral home of the Chapman Family who can count many distinguished members of both the Irish and British Parliaments among its members and has important historical connections with Sir Walter Raleigh and Lawrence of Arabia. The castle was gutted c.1950 and remained a dramatic ruin for fifty years. Under new ownership an extensive restoration programme is almost complete which is turning this important building back into a private residence once more.

Sat
10 Sep »

Sun
11 Sep

European Heritage Open Days

Over 300 properties are open to the public, free of charge, over this weekend including special events, guided tours and living history at a number of sites.

The UAHS had a promotional stall at Hillsborough Castle.

Fri
23 Sep

Social

Culture Night

The Cathedral Quarter comes alive on Culture Night as galleries, artists studios and historic buildings throw open their doors. Music, street performers, projections, tours, talks and walks - a magical evening of free cultural entertainment.

Current proposals for the listed North Street Arcade, Donegall Street, involve complete demolition of its interior. UAHS and Belfast Exposed celebrated this highly unusual building - which housed 23 arts groups and businesses when it suffered arson attack in April 2004 - with a projection of images onto the facade on Donegall Street.

UAHS is lobbying for its reinstatement and recorded memories of this 1936 Arcade and ideas for its future at the listed K6 'Jubilee' telephone kiosk, erected in the same year.

Fri
30 Sep

Tour

Hard hat tour - building conservation in practice

This is the first in a series of hard hat tours geared towards professionals, using the Built Heritage at Risk register as a rich resource of listed buildings to explore.

The register is compiled and managed by the UAHS in partnership with the DoE Northern Ireland Environment Agency. Over 500 entries span every building type and are at risk for a host of reasons. 14% are government owned and over 40% are houses.

Templemore Baths on Templemore Avenue, opened in 1893, is the only functioning Victorian swimming pool in Northern Ireland. The complex is now in poor condition and almost 50% of the building is derelict. Templemore Users Trust accepted responsibility for the Baths in 1989, in partnership with Belfast City Council. Its Chair, David Elliott, kindly showed us the building and shared his hopes for its future.

Just around the corner is McMaster Street, a terraced street of shipworkers' houses, protected by being both listed and in a Conservation Area. Hearth Housing Association has already restored houses on this once typical but now rare Belfast street and has taken on four more, which particpipants were able to view at different stages of restoration.

Sat
15 Oct

Tour

Upstairs - downstairs, Belfast rooftops & basements

We were thrilled to offer unique access to the rooftops and balconies of the Grand Opera House and Europa Hotel. The visit began with The Grand Opera House, designed by the most prolific theatre architect of the late Victorian period, Frank Matcham, opened on 23 December 1895. According to the Theatres Trust the "magnificent auditorium is probably the best surviving example in the United Kingdom of the oriental style applied to theatre architecture".

We had the opportunity to see much of the original roof structures and features from locations not normally accessible to the public including all areas and behind the scenes experiences including the orchestra pit and the Flying Floor unique to the UK!

We then moved to the rooftop of the famous Europa Hotel. Opened in July 1971 and built on the site of the former Great Northern Railway station. The architects were Sydney Kaye, Eric Firkin & Partners and the building height was 51 metres. During the Troubles, the hotel, was known as the "most bombed hotel in the world" as having suffered 28 bomb attacks. The hotel was blown up by the Provisional IRA in 1993 and damaged so badly that it sold for only £4.4m. It has hosted presidents, prime ministers and celebrities, including President Bill Clinton during his visits to Belfast in 1995 and 1998.

Thu
03 Nov

Lecture

Gardening on the edge

Coastal gardens of the 17th and 18th centuries in Ireland were created in spite, rather than because of their location. Early attempts to plant successful shelter belts were not always successful and it was not until the 19th century that landowners began to successfully cope with the harsh and exposed conditions of coastal districts with their salt-laden winds.

Success here was followed by a growing appreciation of the horticultural benefits of Ireland's wonderfully mild (through wet) maritime coastal belt. Gardens began to be intentionally sited to take advantage of its equable climate, as at Sir Peter Fitzgerald's garden at Glanleam, Co. Kerry, which was begun in the 1830s.

In subsequent decades a string of other famous coastal gardens were created, such as Rossdohan, the Garnish Islands, Derreen and Fota. Today most of Ireland's finest gardens lie within twelve miles of her coast.

Terence Reeves-Smyth, an archaeologist and architectural historian, has spent over two decades researching Ireland's historic parks and gardens. In this illustrated talk he gave an overview of our present knowledge on the subject, looking at the evolution of our designed landscapes from the late 17th century into the modern era.

Fri
04 Nov

Traditional skills seminar

Home & Dry - Lunch-time talk on 'Stained Glass'

Lunch-time talks on traditional skills with an expert practitioner aimed at home-owners, architects and building professionals. This seminar focused on stained glass was led by Syephen Calderwood.

Sat
03 Dec

Social event

Festive Open House

The traditional get together with UAHS staff, committee and members alongside music, mulled wine and mince pies.

Special offers on UAHS publications

10am ~ 2pm
66 Donegall Pass, Belfast