Description
Step back in time as you enter through the gates of Clifton Street Cemetery.
Opened by the Belfast Charitable Society in 1797, the cemetery catered to all of the citizens of Belfast.
During the tour, you will visit the graves of radicals and reformers from a time when Belfast was the ‘Athens of the North’, as well as the final resting places of the industrial giants who helped to shape Belfast into a global powerhouse.
Wealthy merchants and professionals purchased the Walled Plots, with many showing off their wealth through elaborate memorials and mausoleums.
Your tour guide will tell you tales of bodysnatching and the thousands of souls who lie in unmarked graves. Some lived out their final days in the Poor House; others died without friends to bury them. Those who tragically lost their lives in the 1832 cholera epidemic and the Irish Potato Famine also lie within its walls.
The highlight of the tour is the McCracken family grave where Mary Ann McCracken, the renowned abolitionist, philanthropist and reformer, was laid to rest at the spectacular age of 96.
All human life rests in Clifton Street Cemetery. Come and discover the stories for yourself!
Planning your visit:
- Meet at Clifton House, and our guide will lead you to the cemetery
- Please arrive 10 minutes before the start of your tour
- Guided tours last approx. 90mins, which includes the journey time to and from the Cemetery from Clifton House.
- Free car parking onsite at Clifton House
- Booking in advance essential due to limited spaces
- Please advise in advance of any accessibility requirements as the ground of the Cemetery is uneven.
- Admission £12.50
When?

Upcoming events at Clifton House Belfast
Belfast’s Heroines: Mary Ann McCracken and Martha McTier Walking Tour
Come and learn about Belfast’s heroines, Mary Ann McCracken and Martha McTier, in a brand-new walking tour.
The Medical History of Belfast Charitable Society (Cemetery Tour)
A journey through the medical history of 18th and 19th Century Belfast through the lives of pioneering surgeons…
The Hidden History of the Women of Clifton Street Cemetery
In this brand new tour, discover stories of notable women such as Mary Ann McCracken.
Plots & Plotters: Belfast Charitable Society & the 1798 Rebellion (Clifton Street Cemetery Tour)
Come and explore the stories of the reformers & rebels who made the Belfast Charitable Society a “hotbed…
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