Explore Friar's Bush Graveyard Tours

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Friar's Bush Cemetery, Cairde na Cille's first volunteer project

Be inspired by our volunteers' graveyard restoration, with 70 monuments restored and counting. Please help us maintain the graves we reclaimed and to restore many more. Please donate for gloves tools, expenses and legal administration!

Tours and Events for All

Find the perfect tour or event to enjoy the graveyard we restored from dereliction

Cill Pádraig, Baile Bhaile na mBráthar: Ait spioradálta na nGael

• Camchuairt, caint, ceol, cultúr agus craic

• Stair agus scéalta, athbheochan

• Ní fhaighimid pingin rua poiblí

• Turas/Imeactaí ó £5

• Bí i dteagmháil linn!

Friar's Bush: Preserving Belfast's Ancient Graveyard Heritage

Cairde na Cille, meaning Friends of the Churchyard, a non-profit based in Belfast, is transforming Friar's Bush graveyard from dereliction and neglect to a pleasant outdoor space for all to enjoy and attend events.

1500+

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Community-driven transformation

Visit us

A short story about us

Our Social Purpose and our Flagship Project :The proceeds of Cairde na Cille's official Friar's Bush Tours go towards restoration of Friar's Bush Graveyard. Bookable directly on this site and with Visit Belfast, there are tours every Sunday at 12:00 year round and on occasional weekdays (Tuesday or Wednesdays) that we hope to increase to daily when we acquire a lease on the Gatehouse at Friar's Bush. Our tours are authentic, no-holes barred balanced expeditions into our ancient and Victorian-era past. The fascinating story of Friar's Bush on our Whistlestop Tour will transport you back 2 millennia! We also have monthly Graves and Gardens Tours that include a tour of the neighbouring Botanic Gardens, once part of the same larger ecclesiastical site! We believe friar's Bush was a place of special pilgrimage and we also are convinced it is Belfast's oldest graveyard. The site holds particular significance for the Catholics of Belfast. But we also like to point out the shared heritage of this site. Look out for our special seasonal tours and events including Halloween, Beltane, Lúnasa, St Patrick's and Imbolg. Our tour guides are engaging and passionate. (Some say entertaining and highly informative). We look forward to welcoming you on our enthralling tours!

The beneficiaries impacted by our work so far include the local community, especially economically-deprived who have been locked out of heritage spaces for decades, now able to access and enjoy them freely appreciating the heritage in authentic tours and cultural events. Volunteers transforming the green space at our Friar's Bush Reimagined flagship project have benefited from improved wellbeing, camaraderie, a sense of belonging and ownership, new practical gardening skills and resilience-building for work opportunities, stress and relationships.

We meet once or twice weekly in a warm welcoming group. To join our volunteering team email us on mail@cairdenacille.org today. We champion biodiversity in the graveyard e.g. retaining vegetation tackled/tidied up within the green space, conserving the unique ecosystem naturally established there. (This means all the little bugs, snails, singed insects and pollinators all stay within the old graveyard walls! We have plans for large composting and mulching to facilitate our biodiversity and a pollinating programme for increased bees and other insects to help tackle climate change pressures. We are open and diverse, welcoming all religions and none, all races, abilities and LGBTQ into our inclusive community

Our Story:

In 2021 during a lockdown reprieve, our creator Deirdre, noticed that the gates of Friar's Bush Cemetery in Belfast were still not open. After a little investigating and many rabbit holes of research, an all-consuming lockdown and post-lockdown project started that would involve chatting or consulting with dozens of community members about what should/could be done with this seriously neglected, overgrown significant ancient Belfast graveyard, for the good of the citizens. Meetings, phone-calls and email communications, too many to count, were exchanged and arranged with a few hundred community representatives including Stranmillis local residents, Somerton Road Catholic hierarchy and a trail of artisans,architects and artistes and not forgetting local Belfast historians/guides and archaeologists, including the late Dr Eamon Phoenix, Dr Eileen Murphy, Ruairí Ó Baoill and Tom Hartley and others like John Bradbury and Brendan Muldoon who contributed enormously to the exciting unfolding and ever-evolving flagship project conceived by Dr Deirdre Nic an tSionnaigh Fox: Friar's Bush Reimagined.

All agreed that Friar's Bush Graveyard was a heritage site well worth saving, that it needed a community-driven approach, that the council needed to be consulted but reminded about its obligations under The Belfast Agenda towards community ownership, social enterprise, social, cultural and community development and of course community tourism. Irish heritage and language activists added their half-penny's worth including the late Muiris Ó Brollacháin, Marcas Ó Murchú, Aidan Jefferies and Pat McKay about the lost opportunity to promote a story of ancient Irish culture that could rival the heritage burial sites around Ireland's Ancient East or the Wild Atlantic Way. In the words of Tom Hartley "You cannot tell the history of Belfast without telling the history of Friar's Bush Graveyard!". "Friar's Bush...A place dear to my heart", the late Eamon Phoenix enthused. "Seo go díreach an stair nach ndeántar ar scoil...stair na gclann, stair na nGael , sean-stair na hÉireann (agus le ceol!) a dúirt Marcas ó Murchú (This is exactly the history that's not taught at school, the history of the clans, the ancient history of Ireland (and with music!) remarked Marcas Ó Murchú.

Belfast City Council were fully engaged from August 2022 and permission was requested about running tours and seeking to acquire a lease on the derelict gatehouse to restore it for the community. A community interest company was set up in December 2022 (Cairde na Cille CIC) to ensure that there would be a good governance structure whilst enabling a flexible approach to developing and championing the project. In the haste to get as many board members involved as possible, mistakes were made. It takes special people to champion a project seeking to inspire people about a very special place: we have learned the hard way that a fledgling community organisation with a big heart, tremendous goodwill, significant creativity and energetic spirit can be vulnerable. We are proud that our current CIC Board and wider Strategic Volunteer Interest Group are comprised of hard-working loyal volunteers whose values, ethics and creative ideas align perfectly with those of Cairde an Cille... We put community at the heart of all that we do. This is why we chose to set up our own volunteering project when the Council refused to restore or tidy up the graveyard until earnest volunteers embarrassed them into doing some of the grass-cutting. This is why we are meticulously pursuing the aim of acquiring a lease and proper long-term arrangement for this heritage green space and building for the community's benefit. This is why we chose to pursue our own original creative ideas about plans, programmes, tours, events and our own depth of historical research. We have aim to be sustainable whilst not compromising quality, integrity and our social purpose. We continue to reach out to all communities for collaborations, sharing heritage, cross-community education and wonderful inter-cultural events. Our tours and events are hugely popular and our volunteering projects are gaining recognition. We have ambitions to spread the benefits to other flagship projects after Friar's Bush Reimagnined Case Study is endorsed by Belfast City Council through awarding of a lease for the derelict Gate House and a management contract for the graveyard to our Charity Partner Friar's Bush Graveyard Cemetery.

Cairde na Cille (Friends of the Churchyard)

Cairde na Cille: Ár gCuspóir Sóisialta agus ár dTionscadal Suaitheanta: Téann fáltais Thurais Reilige oifigiúla Baile Bhaile na mBráthar le Cairde na Cille i dtreo athchóiriú na Reilige. Is féidir áirithint a dhéanamh go díreach ar an suíomh seo agus le Visit Belfast, agus bíonn turais ar siúl gach Domhnach ag 12:00 agus ó am go chéile Dé Máirt nó Dé Céadaoin. Tá súil againn na turais a mhéadú go laethúil nuair a gheobhaimid léas ar Teach an Gheata. Is turais barántúla iontaofa gan srian gan chosc ár dturais. Tugann siad léargas ionnraic ar stair ársa agus Victeoiriach na cathrach. Tabharfaidh scéal suimiúil na reilige ár dTuras Whistlestop siar 2 mhílaois thú! Bíonn Turais Uaigheanna agus Garraithe míosúla againn sa samhradh fosta lena n-áirítear turas ar Gharraithe na Lus in aice láimhe, a bhí tráth mar chuid den suíomh eaglasta! Creidimid gur áit oilithreachta speisialta a bhí i mBaile Bhaile na mBráthar agus táimid cinnte fosta gurb í an reilig is sine i mBéal Feirste í. Tá tábhacht ar leith ag baint leis an suíomh do Chaitlicigh Bhéal Feirste. Ach is maith linn aird a tharraingt ar oidhreacht chomhroinnte an tsuímh seo fosta. Bí ag faire amach dár dturais agus imeachtaí séasúracha speisialta lena n-áirítear Oíche Shamhna, Bealtaine, Lúnasa, Naomh Pádraig agus Imbolg. Tá ár dtreoraithe turas tarraingteach agus paiseanta. (Deir tromlach na ndaoine go bhfuil siad siamsúil agus an-eolasach). Táimid ag tnúth le fáilte a chur romhat ar ár dturais thar a bheith suimiúla!

I measc na dtairbhithe a ndearna ár gcuid oibre difear dóibh go dtí seo tá an pobal áitiúil, go háirithe iad siúd atá faoi mhíbhuntáiste eacnamaíoch agus a bhí faoi ghlas ó spásanna oidhreachta le blianta fada, agus atá anois in ann rochtain a fháil orthu agus taitneamh a bhaint astu go saor agus meas a bheith acu ar an oidhreacht i dturais fhíora agus in imeachtaí cultúrtha. Tá leas bainte ag oibrithe deonacha atá ag athrú an spáis ghlasa ag ár dtionscadal suaitheanta, Baile Bhaile na mBráthar, as folláine fheabhsaithe, comrádaíocht, mothú muintearais agus úinéireachta, scileanna nua garraíodóireachta praiticiúla agus athléimneacht a thógáil le haghaidh deiseanna oibre, strus agus caidrimh. Buailimid le chéile uair nó dhó sa tseachtain i ngrúpa fáilteach te. Le páirt a ghlacadh inár bhfoireann dheonach, seol ríomhphost chugainn ag mail@cairdenacille.org inniu. Cuirimid an bhithéagsúlacht chun cinn sa reilig, m.sh. ag coinneáil fásra atá glanta/réitithe laistigh den spás glas, ag caomhnú an éiceachórais uathúil atá bunaithe go nádúrtha ann. (Ciallaíonn sé seo go bhfanann na feithidí beaga, na seilidí, na feithidí dóite agus na pailneoirí go léir laistigh de bhallaí na sean-reilige!) Tá pleananna againn le haghaidh múirín agus múirín mór chun ár mbithéagsúlacht a éascú agus clár pailniúcháin le haghaidh méadú ar bheacha agus feithidí eile le chuidiú le dul i ngleic le brúnna an athraithe aeráide. Táimid oscailte agus éagsúil, ag fáiltiú roimh gach creideamh agus gan creideamh, gach cine, gach cumas agus LGBTQ isteach inár bpobal cuimsitheach.

Ár Scéal Féin: Sa bhliain 2021, le linn sos dianghlasála, thug ár gcruthaitheoir Deirdre faoi deara nach raibh geataí Reilig Chill Pádraig ag Baile Bhaile na mBráthar Bhéal Feirste oscailte go fóill. I ndiaidh beagán imscrúdaithe agus go leor taighde, cuireadh tús le tionscadal dianghlasála agus iar-dhianghlasála a bhain le comhrá nó dul i gcomhairle le mórán ball den phobal faoi cad ba cheart/d’fhéadfaí a dhéanamh leis an reilig ársa suntasach seo i mBéal Feirste atá faillithe go dona agus atá fásaithe go dona, ar mhaithe le muintir Bhéal Feirste. Socraíodh cruinnithe, glaonna gutháin agus bhí malartú cumarsáid ríomhphoist, barraíocht le comhaireamh, le cúpla céad ionadaí pobail lena n-áirítear muintir na háite ón Sruthán Mhilis, ordlathas Caitliceach Bhóthar Somerton agus rian ceardaithe, ailtirí agus ealaíontóirí agus gan dearmad a dhéanamh ar staraithe/treoraithe agus seandálaithe áitiúla Bhéal Feirste, lena n-áirítear an Dr Eamonn Phoenix nach maireann, an Dr Eileen Murphy, Ruairí Ó Baoill agus Tom Hartley agus daoine eile cosúil le John Bradbury agus Breandain Ó Maoildúin. Chuir siad go mór leis an tionscadal suaitheanta spreagúil a chum an Dr Deirdre Nic an tSionnaigh agus tá tSionnaigh “Baile Bhaile na mBráthar Ath-shamhlaithe” ag teacht chun cinn agus ag forbairt go deo.

D’aontaigh gach duine gurbh fhiú go mór Cill Pádraig a shábháil, go raibh cur chuige pobail-bhunaithe ag teastáil, go raibh gá dul i gcomhairle leis an Chomhairle ach go gcuirfí i gcuimhne dóibh a ndualgaisí faoi Chlár Oibre Bhéal Feirste i leith úinéireacht/achmhainn an phobail, fiontar sóisialta, forbairt shóisialta, chultúrtha agus phobail agus ar ndóigh turasóireacht phobail. Chuir gníomhaithe oidhreachta agus teanga na hÉireann a ndearcadh féin leis, lena n-áirítear Muiris Ó Braollcháinn nach mairean, Aidan (Jaff) Mac Séafraidh, agus Pat Mac Aoidh faoin deis caillte scéal faoi chultúr ársa na hÉireann a chur chun cinn. Dar leo gurbh fhéadfadh a bheith inchomórtais leis na suíomhanna adhlactha oidhreachta timpeall Oirthear Ársa na hÉireann nó Slí an Atlantaigh Fhiáin. I bhfocail Tom Hartley "Ní féidir leat stair Bhéal Feirste a insint gan stair na Reilige Cill Pádraig a insint!". "Cill Pádraig...Áit atá an-dlúth do mo chroí", a dúirt an Dr Éamonn Phoenix nach maireann go díograiseach. “Seo go díreach an stair nach ndeántar ar scoil...stair na gclann, stair na nGael , stair ársa na hÉireann (agus le ceol!) a dúirt Marcas Ó Murchú.

Bhí Comhairle Cathrach Bhéal Feirste lánghníomhach ó mhí Lúnasa 2022 agus iarradh cead maidir le turais a reáchtáil agus léas a fháil ar Teach an Gheata ata tréigthe le athchóiriú a dhéánamh don phobal. Bunaíodh cuideachta leasa phobail i mí na Nollag 2022 (CIC) chun a chinntiú go mbeadh struchtúr rialachais maith ann agus cur chuige solúbtha á chumasú maidir leis an tionscadal a fhorbairt agus a chur chun cinn. Sa deifir chun an oiread ball boird agus ab fhéidir a fháil páirteach, rinneadh botúin. Bíonn daoine speisialta de dhíth le tionscadal a chur chun cinn atá ag iarraidh daoine a spreagadh faoi áit an-speisialta: d'fhoghlaim muid ar an bhealach crua cé chomh leochailleach a bheas eagraíocht phobail nua le croí mór, dea-thoil ollmhór, cruthaitheacht shuntasach agus spiorad fuinniúil. Táimid bródúil as go bhfuil ár mBord CIC reatha agus ár nGrúpa Leasa Straitéiseach Deonach níos leithne comhdhéanta d'oibrithe deonacha dílse atá ag obair go dian agus a bhfuil a luachanna, a n-eitice agus a smaointe cruthaitheacha ag teacht go foirfe le luachanna, eitic agus smaointe cruthaitheacha Cairde na Cille. Cuirimid an pobal i gcroílár gach a ndéanaimid. Sin é an fáth ar roghnaigh muid ár dtionscadal deonach féin a bhunú nuair a dhiúltaigh an Chomhairle an reilig a athchóiriú nó a ghlanadh go dtí gur chuir oibrithe deonacha díograiseacha náire orthu cuid den ghearradh féir a dhéanamh. Sin é an fáth a bhfuilimid ag saothrú go dian le léas agus socrú fadtéarmach cuí a fháil don spás glas oidhreachta seo agus don fhoirgneamh le leasa an phobail. Sin é an fáth ar roghnaigh muid ár smaointe cruthaitheacha bunaidh féin a shaothrú maidir le pleananna, cláir, turais, imeachtaí agus ár ndoimhneacht taighde stairiúil féin. Tá sé mar aidhm againn a bheith inbhuanaithe gan cáilíocht, ionracas ná ár gcuspóir sóisialta a chur i mbaol. Leanfaimid orainn ag teacht amach chuig gach pobal le haghaidh comhoibrithe, comhroinnt oidhreachta, oideachas trasphobail agus imeachtaí idirchultúrtha iontacha. Tá an-tóir ar ár dturais agus ár n-imeachtaí agus tá aitheantas á fháil ag ár dtionscadail dheonacha. Tá uaillmhianta againn na buntáistí a scaipeadh chuig tionscadail shuaitheanta eile i ndiaidh do Chomhairle Cathrach Bhéal Feirste "Baile Bhaile na mBráthar Athshamhlaithe a fhormhuiniú trí léas a dhámhachtain do Theach An Gheata tréigthe agus conradh bainistíochta don reilig dár gComhpháirtí Carthanachta Friar's Bush Graveyard Cemetery.

Friar's Bush Graveyard Gallery

Explore the transformation of Friar's Bush graveyard in Belfast, 2023-2025. Copyright images and text Cairde na Cille CIC