A century of memories recalled at City Hall

22 February 2006

Since it opened in August 1906, Belfast City Hall has been at the heart of life in Belfast. It has been at the centre of every major event in the city over the last 100 years and has a host of stories to tell, from the people who have visited it to the decorations which adorn it.

`A Century of Memories’, a special exhibition telling the story of the City Hall`s first century, personalises history of the City Hall in the form of a diary, emphasising how it touches the life of everyone in Belfast.

The exhibition covers a number of specific themes, each told from the building`s perspective including:

`My birth’, looking at the conception and construction of City Hall; `My Wardrobe’, looking at the important features of the City Hall and its grounds, and the people and stories behind them; `Me and My City’, looking at the significance of the City Hall to Belfast and its relationship with other buildings in the city; `My Role in your Life’, looking at the part City Hall has played, and continues to play, in the lives of the people of Belfast; `My Friends’, looking at the people who have played an important part in the life of City Hall; `My Wartime Memories’, looking at the role of City Hall in the two world wars; and `In The Spotlight’, looking at the how City Hall has been focus for all kinds of celebrations, protests, parades and other events over the past 100 years.

A special timeline charts the story of City Hall from 1906 to the present day, while an interactive section to allow visitors to better understand the City Hall`s role in Belfast`s development, and visual footage from BBC and Museums and Gallery NI (MAGNI) will be shown on an inbuilt plasma floor screen. The exhibition also has been developed to support key aspects of the school curriculum, and every school in the city of Belfast will receive an invitation to visit the exhibition during the year.

The exhibition can be viewed during normal City Hall opening hours, and as part of the City Hall tour programme, until December 31.

ENDS

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