Gobbins Restoration

The Gobbins © lordbelmontinnorthernireland.co.uk

Ian Maxwell of BBC news reports that a £6 million project to restore an historic coastal path in County Antrim is due to begin this summer.

The Gobbins cliff path on Islandmagee is about half a mile long. It was built in 1902 and in its heyday was more popular than the Giant's Causeway.

It was a commercial venture from the outset, designed and constructed by Berkeley Deane Wise. But the attraction - with 15 bridges and a path carved into the cliff-side - fell into disrepair after the 2nd World War.

It was closed to the public sixty years ago.

Several attempts have been made over the last forty years to raise the funds needed to restore the path, but all efforts have been in vain, until now. Work on a new visitors centre will start this summer and work on the cliff face path will begin in September.

It is hoped both will be completed and open to visitors by May, 2014. Larne Borough Council is contributing £2 million to the project, which is also being funded by the European Union and Ulster Garden Villages Ltd.

The cliffs are home to the largest seabird colony along the coast of mainland Northern Ireland - only Rathlin Island has a larger colony.

Ian Enlander, from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, said it is a unique place.

"It's designated as an area of special scientific interest because of the breeding kittiwake and razorbill," 

The new path will include reconstructed versions of the tubular bridge and a 25-metre suspension bridge which were once part of the route. Morgan Haylett, the project manager from RPS Consulting Engineers, said he believed it would be a challenge to construct the new path.

"Access is either from the top of the cliff or via the sea. Back in the days (when it was built), the bigger bridges were floated in and then lifted into place and it may very well be that that has to happen this time round too." 

Visitors will be transported from the visitors centre in groups of 12 by minibus to the entrance of the path. They will then be given a guided tour. Final ticket prices have not been set, but the estimate is £6 per person.

Geraldine McGahey, chief executive of Larne Borough Council, said the new path would bring thousands to the area.

"In the first year we expect around 50,000 visitors, now that is a very pessimistic projection, but we like to err on the side of caution. Underestimate and overachieve. This is the pinnacle of everything that the council have aspired to give to the ratepayer as a legacy of what the council stood for and delivered."

Heritage Bonanza

Thousands of jobs could be created from Northern Ireland's historic assets, according to the NI Minister of the Environment (DoE).

Alex Attwood MLA will highlight the potential employment opportunities at a heritage economic summit which will take place at City Hall, Belfast.

Among those attending will be representatives from the CBI, tourism, architectural and governmental sectors.

Mr Attwood said:

"Our historic environment generates an annual output of £0.5bn and sustains 10,000 jobs. We can generate more. The equivalent figures for Wales are £1,837m output and 30,000 jobs. In the [Irish] Republic, 1.5bn euro in annual national wealth and 37,000 jobs so we can realise far more from our unique assets."

He said the DoE had commissioned a study of the economic value of Northern Ireland's historic environment,

"I am currently testing how to best utilise our heritage assets - the plan to develop the buried village around Dunluce Castle, a piece of our own Pompeii, in heritage and tourist terms and developing work around Carrickfergus Castle are two representative examples. If we get this right we will raise the profile, the profit and the protection of our historic environment to an international level."

Alan Clarke, Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, welcomed the summit, which will take place in Belfast City Hall,

"Our tourism offering is centred on what is unique about Northern Ireland, including our stories. Well developed heritage assets are key to this, and to growing our tourism economy".

Bangor Heritage

On Sunday, 26th May, 2013, I paid a visit to Bangor Castle demesne. I particularly wished to see the restored walled garden.

I've written already about the Castle, its owners and the demesne.

Nevertheless, suffice it to say that this large house was one of the grandest private homes in Ulster, as were its superb grounds and parkland.

Bangor Castle, County Down, was completed in 1852 for Robert Edward Ward. This imposing building is not so much a castle as an elegant Victorian mansion in the Elizabethan-Jacobean revival style.

It had 35 bedrooms and incorporated a huge saloon for musical recitals. When the then municipal authority, Bangor Borough Council, acquired the Castle and grounds, the music saloon became the Council Chamber.

The first Council meeting was held there almost exactly 100 years after the building-now known as the Town Hall was first completed.

The successor to Bangor Borough Council, North Down Borough Council now sits at the Castle. Situated in Castle Park the gardens have won many awards for their outstanding blooms.

The Clanmorris cypher adorns the front wall of the Castle.
Rear-Admiral the Hon Barry Bingham VC OBE was this family's most celebrated son.

I spent some time at the museum within the Castle before strolling a ten-minute walk to the walled garden, which has been beautifully restored, at great expense, by the Council.

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Inside a display cabinet in the heritage centre are the insignia of the Rt Hon Sir John Newell Jordan GCMG GCIE KCB, a most distinguished diplomat and one of HM Most Honourable Privy Council, born at Balloo, near Bangor, County Down.

Sir John is interred at Bangor Abbey graveyard.

Primatial Sitting

His Grace the Lord Primate, the Most Reverend and Right Honourable Lord John Beresford, poses for that indefatigable photographer, Timothy William, Earl of Belmont.

Lord John George de la Poer Beresford was 2nd son of the 1st Marquess of Waterford. He was the 106th Lord Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, 1822-62. Lord John's ancestors, the Beresford Baronets, were founders of Coleraine, County Londonderry.

Lord Belmont's reflection appears in the glass whilst holding his camera.

This image of Lord John is, I believe, is one of very few indeed on the Internet.

The Lord Primate wears his badge and sky-blue riband as Prelate of the Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick.

Lord John possessed immense wealth, thereby enabling him to indulge his clergy, diocese, buildings, land, art and many other interests with extraordinary largesse and beneficence.

His official residence was the Palace, Armagh, where His Grace lived in great opulence and splendour.

Information Plea

Merely to sate, or satiate, my own curiosity, can any readers recall the precise date on which Archbishop Simms vacated the Palace at Armagh?

Armagh City Council has stated that the Palace was occupied by archbishops from 1770 till 1975.


I'm also keen to know whether Archbishops of Armagh, or Lord Primates as they were known, had an official residence in the city of Dublin, where they regularly attended the Irish House of Lords.

Primatial Reception

The Royal Maundy service took place on the 20th March, 2008, at Armagh Anglican Cathedral, attended by Her Majesty The Queen, who was accompanied by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.

The Lord Archbishop of Armagh at that time, the Most Rev Alan Harper OBE, officiated.

The Archbishop's counterpart from Armagh RC Cathedral, His Eminence the Cardinal Archbishop of Armagh, Dr Sean Brady, was in attendance, too.

Afterwards, a sherry reception was given by the Archbishop at the Deanery.

The Office of the Royal Maundy provided luncheon to invited guests.

The Freak Show

I am utterly distraught. I missed The Freak Show last night on BBC One at ten thirty-five, viz. Question Time, from Belfast; chairman, Pop Dimbleby.

Timothy Belmont wishes readers to know that he never missed Hammer Horrors during the 1960s and 70s.

As it happens, I had the final chapter of Jeeves in the Offing for perusal in the bedroom.

Estranged from Ulster politics? Moi?