The Belfast Workhouse Burial Ground Memorial

Belfast City Council have unanimously supported the proposal for a memorial at the Belfast Workhouse Burial Ground. While we are still working on what form this should be and the wording on the memorial, it is a huge step forward in my campaign to recognise the Burial Ground and the thousands of people buried there.

After a meeting of the full Council, I spoke again to BBC News reporter Mark Simpson with my reaction to the Council’s approval.

Belfast: Hidden famine graves set to be publicly marked - BBC News

Clip from BBC Newsline 6 April 2025

From this, I was contacted throughout the week by different news outlets to talk about the history of the Belfast Workhouse, the Burial Ground and why it is important to remember the stories of the working classes. It was quite a busy week.

I spoke live to Frank Mitchell on U105 radio on Monday 7 April.

On Tuesday 8 April, I chatted with my friends on the Afternoon Show on BBC Radio Ulster (who have bestowed the title of their ‘official historian’ on me - which I love).

You can listen to the segment on the Burial Ground here.

The news also made it onto RTÉ online and on their Drivetime show on RTÉ Radio 1 on Wednesday 9 April.

You can find the article here and listen to the radio clip.

The tens of thousands of people buried in this Burial Ground will finally have their resting place marked. I am so thrilled to have the support of all the parties in Belfast City Council and I’d like to thank those councillors who have been in touch with me and have met with me recently. Their support for this project is so important.

This is just the beginning. The Belfast Workhouse has a lot of stories to tell.

Photo taken by RTÉ reporter Una Kelly