Custom House is set to join some of Northern Ireland's most prized historical buildings in opening its doors to the public this weekend.
The building, which was completed 150 years ago this year, will be taking part in the first day of European Heritage Open Day weekend on September 8, marking the tenth year of the Europe-wide event.
Doors open between 10am and 4pm and Custom House hopes to exceed last year's 400 visitors.
Custom House was built between 1854 and 1857 and is one of a number of buildings in Northern Ireland designed by architect Charles Lanyon, including Queen's College and Botanic Garden's Palm House, both of which are included in the Open Day.
The steps to the building have been dubbed 'The Speaker's Corner', after trade union leader James Larkin famously addressed crowds of 20,000 here.
The building itself features carved winged statues of classical deities representing Manufacture, Commerce, Industry and Peace. These signify the building's importance throughout the 19th and 20th centuries as the base of Customs and can be found at the front of the building overlooking the river Lagan.
HM Revenue & Customs Head of Estates and Support Services Northern Ireland, Ian Spence said: "We are very privileged to work in such a beautiful historic building and we are delighted to take part in European Heritage Day and to open the doors of Custom House in Belfast. It is a rare opportunity to see inside our building as it is not normally open to the public.
"Visitors on the day will be able to view a display of seized goods including drugs, illegal fuel, seized cigarettes and alcohol, and items banned under the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES). Our Detection staff will be on hand to answer any questions about the seizures."
(CD/SP)
Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Latest Construction News
20/11/2024
MDE has been awarded the electrical services contract for the Clondalkin School Development Project in Dublin. Working alongside Cunningham Contracts Ltd., the company will serve as the specialist electrical contractor for the construction of new facilities for Gaelscoil na Camóige, Gaelscoil ...
20/11/2024
In celebration of European Week for Waste Reduction, the Northern Ireland Resources Network (NIRN) has launched an environmental education programme to promote zero-waste principles among young people. Three schools from the ABC Borough—St Francis Primary School in Lurgan, St Patrick's Primary ...
20/11/2024
Work has begun at hospital sites across Northern Ireland as part of preparations to eliminate car parking charges by May 2026. Health and Social Care Trusts are installing the necessary infrastructure for a new traffic management system, following the passing of the Hospital Parking Charges Act by ...
20/11/2024
Fine Gael has accused Sinn Féin of abandoning its commitment to protect consumers from rising energy costs, claiming that the party's policies could lead to increased costs for 2.1 million customers. The criticism comes after Sinn Féin's alternative budget last month proposed retaining the ...
20/11/2024
SDLP Agriculture, Environment, and Rural Affairs Spokesperson Patsy McGlone has urged Minister Andrew Muir to take decisive action to protect the environment, rather than launching additional reviews. The comments came after Minister Muir announced a review into environmental governance during an ...
20/11/2024
Alliance Strangford MLAs Kellie Armstrong and Nick Mathison, along with Alliance East Antrim MLA Danny Donnelly, recently visited the tidal research experiment at Queen's University Marine Laboratory (QML) in Strangford. The project, funded by the Centre for Advanced Sustainable Energy (CASE), is ...
19/11/2024
Phoenix Energy has been awarded an international standards accreditation from the British Standards Institution (BSI) in recognition of its inclusive service approach for customers in vulnerable situations. The certification highlights Phoenix Energy's commitment to providing fair, flexible, and ...
19/11/2024
Seating Matters is investing £3.7 million to enhance and improve its manufacturing facilities in Limavady and L'Derry. The company is aiming to support its bold strategy to triple revenue by 2027. Making the announcement while visiting the company's Limavady site Economy Minister Conor Murphy ...
19/11/2024
SDLP Infrastructure Spokesperson Mark H Durkan has urged the Minister and the Executive to take immediate action to address problems within Northern Ireland Water. Mr Durkan warned that the current state of the wastewater system is creating significant delays for infrastructure projects across ...
19/11/2024
Galway City Council will hold a public information evening on affordable housing on Monday, November 25, 2024, from 4pm to 8pm at the Connacht Hotel, Old Dublin Road, Galway. The event will provide an opportunity for the public to learn about how affordable housing operates. Council staff will be ...