Belfast - Past, Present and Future

My experiences make me unique, seeing is believing. I have worked in industry all my life however for the last 15 years I have enjoyed working as a heritage tour guide. I was always interested in local history and after obtaining an Honours Degree from Q.U.B. in the Social Sciences I then went on to do an M.A. in Irish History. I now do something which I have always loved and that is explaining the history, culture and heritage of Northern Ireland and Belfast in particular.

I am also Chairperson of Tour Guides Northern Ireland which is a 100 plus membership organisation and we liaise with all the relevant tourism bodies including Tourism NI, Tourism Ireland, Northern Ireland Tourism Alliance, Visit Belfast etc. There is no better tour guide association of which to be a member. I also promote our heritage through a strong link with OCN NI and Belfast Metropolitan College who run the courses. Over 15 years I have worked at different locations and conducted innumerable heritage tours: I have worked at various visitor attractions for example, a few years at The Belfast Prison (Crumlin Road Gaol) and then for another few years at Hillsborough Castle explaining the heritage of the sites. I also work as a step-on guide taking students mainly around Belfast explaining the impact that heritage has had on the communities. I work with local schools and the education authorities and their teaching staff and with the College of English Studies based in Dublin and escort their foreign language students around Belfast, again illustrating the heritage of the city. I also conduct tours of Co. Down and Holywood where I live. This last 10 years I have enjoyed working from the ever-increasing Cruise Ship market highlighting Ulsters' heritage.

I obtained a Blue Badge award from the Institute of Tourist Guiding in London that provides me with all the skills necessary to explain our heritage. I update regularly through continuous professional development and the regular events organised by Tourism N.I.

Past, Present and Future – that’s me, I am all three.

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