YOUR RESPONSES

Rev. Richard E. Kirby - February '05
This is fantastic. In my two trips to Ulster this is the first time I have heard of this!

Jude Whyte - December '04
As part of my work in the world of Community Care I often visited Clifton House and was seduced by the age, feeling and kindness of the staff and members. On one occasion in November I had reason to visit a student, now sadly deceased, called Tommy Leckey. Tommy ran programmes for the elderly and was a model student. He showed me the Bell Tower and we both were amazed by the height of the same and what this bell tower would have seen over the years looking over our great city of Belfast. Amazing as it seems we felt like two school kids, being afraid of been caught by the cross school master as we compared notes on our respective views (literally and metaphorically) of Belfast .
I often wonder does Tommy look Down on us now and would love to hear from anybody who had the luck to meet in Clifton House in the Late 1990's.

Anne - June 2004

Where is the water fountain? It used to be outside the charitable institution (Clifton House) in North Queen Street. Does anyone know what happened to it?

Raymond O'Regan - June 2004

• In the late 1600s Belfast's water supply was served from rivers and streams e.g. the Farset but these became clogged up with household waste, etc
• 1678 The sovereign Capt. George McCartney gave permission to "Black" George McCartney and a Capt. Robt Leathes to run wooden pipes from a tuck dam near present day Millfield to supply Belfast town with fresh water (the cost was £250).
• 1773 Wm. "pipewater" Johnstone from Newforge made an abortive attempt to supply Belfast with water.
• 1795 The Belfast Charitable Society had been supplying some of Belfast's water needs from its own spring so they applied to Lord Donegall and were eventually granted the rights to provide a proper water supply to Belfast. The society was responsible for the town's water supply up until-
• 1840 when this function was taken on by the water commissioners. (The cost to the society of providing Belfast's water was c. £30,000). As part of the agreement the society still receives £800 per annum and gets a free supply of water through a 1" pipe to Clifton House.

A full history of Belfast's water supply can be seen in the Sept/Oct edition of the "Belfast " magazine.

A. McAllister - Oakville, Ontario

I was most interested in the article on Clifton House, my dad James Mc Allister worked there in the early 50's. He took care of the Boilers in the Boiler room. I can remember so well my visits to the place.

Thank you for the fond memories.