National Trust

The Downside of Success – Coping with our increasing tourist numbers…

Finn Purdy on August 1, 2018, 7:21 pm | Readers 2449

Over the past number of years, Northern Ireland’s tourism industry has maintained a steady growth and our visitor attractions have continued to become more popular than ever. These high levels of tourism are a relatively new phenomenon for the region and perhaps not one we have yet learnt how to deal with properly. In 2017 there were an estimated 4.9 million overnight trips in Northern Ireland, the highest estimates on record. Many of our most popular visitor attractions are purpose-built …

Bronagh Hinds on role of women in political discourse at home & abroad #msconversations

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on October 9, 2017, 8:30 am | Readers 633

Peter Buntin and Bronagh Hinds answer questions from the audience at NICVA's Centre for Economic Empowerment 'Creating the good economy' conference in Belfast on 8 November 2011

A REAL PARTICIPATIVE DEMOCRACY is what the NI Women’s Coalition wanted. Cofounder Bronagh Hinds spoke to me about her work in NI and abroad ahead of her appearance next weekend on a panel as part of Mount Stewart Conversations (14-15 October).

Mount Stewart Conversations are back on shores of Strangford Lough on 14 & 15 October

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on September 2, 2017, 12:55 pm | Readers 831

NATIONAL TRUST’S Mount Stewart Conversations are back on 14 and 15 October with a range of speakers, music, performers and activities on the lough shore site. Figures like Ian Hislop, Rosie Boycott, Rachel Johnson and Fintan O’Toole will be talking about historic and contemporary issues. Standing alongside the world-renowned gardens, the country house was the scene of many political and diplomatic talks in past ages.

Jonathan Powell on Brexit, borders, the LCC, peace … and appearing this weekend at Mount Stewart Conversations

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on September 14, 2016, 6:17 pm | Readers 938

INTERVIEW with Jonathan Powell ahead of his appearance at National Trust’s Mount Stewart Conversations this weekend on a panel with Fintan O’Toole and others discussing “Can the Kingdom Stay United after Brexit?”

Mount Stewart Conversations: a festival fusing debate, culture & food (17+18 September)

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on August 29, 2016, 9:00 am | Readers 338

MOUNT STEWART CONVERSATIONS promises a weekend of debate, ideas, storytelling, art, music and food in the National Trust’s recently restored house and the surrounding gardens. Anne Applebaum, David Aaronovitch, Fintan O’Toole, Sarah Helm, Wendy Osborne, Jonathan Powell not to mention Urslua Burns, Iain Archer, Molly Sterling, Orchestre des Refugies et Amis, Bitch’n’Monk, and Lords of Strut.

Mount Stewart Festival of Light

W[r]ite Noise on November 1, 2014, 12:12 pm | Readers 1508

I loved the Enchanted Evening events they used to run in Botanic Gardens as part of the Belfast Festival. They were, for us, easy to get to, compact, beautiful, mysterious and fun. It has been a sore point for me that they have been absent from the Festival programme for the last couple of years, although this year’s lovely Havannas event from Catalonia did somewhat make up for it. Regardless, I decided to book tickets for the National Trust Mount …

UNESCO pitches golf ball into Runkerry bunker

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on May 24, 2013, 3:15 pm | Readers 118

It took a long time to work through the planning process, but in February 2012 the Bushmills Dunes Golf Resort and Spa finally received planning permission. A year later in February 2013, the National Trust lost its judicial review of the decision and have not appealed. Minister of the Environment Alex Attwood invited Unesco to visit the Giant’s Causeway and the Causeway Coast. Quotes from their inspection report have been released and will be considered by Unesco’s World Heritage Committee …

“the looming legal row, which is due to commence on 9 January, could become a defining event for Northern Ireland…”

Pete Baker on December 30, 2012, 4:51 pm | Readers 76

Well, perhaps. At the very least it might provide the basis for some actual politics, for a while… ANYhoo… The Observer’s Jamie Doward with a reminder of the upcoming legal battle over planning permission for the Bushmills Dunnes development – a 18-hole golf course, clubhouse, golf academy, 120-room hotel and 75 golf lodges complex, plus associated car parking facilities, at Runkerry, close to the Unesco World Heritage Centre Giants’ Causeway and Causeway Coast. In June this year the National Trust sought leave for a …

#Creationism to be included in the [#GiantsCauseway] exhibition, as a grant condition.

John Ó Néill on October 16, 2012, 5:16 pm | Readers 312

The British Humanist Association is reporting that an FOI request by Andew Muir of the Alliance Party suggests that the origin of the creationist content in the National Trusts’ Giant’s Causeway exhibit can be traced back to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: … an email uncovered by the Alliance Party, from a civil servant within DETI and dated 9 November 2009, states that ‘I’ve amended draft to take on board NITB [Northern Ireland Tourist Board] comment re National Trust unwillingness …

National Trust: “However, not everyone agrees with the scientific view…”

Pete Baker on October 3, 2012, 11:56 am | Readers 64

The BBC report that the National Trust have amended the controversial exhibition at the new Giants’ Causeway interpretive centre following their announced review of the materials in the display. But have they fully addressed the problem? Not quite. Here’s how the revised controversial section of the transcript now reads Today there is a clear understanding among scientists that the heat of the earth was the driving force behind the formation of the Giant’s Causeway – and that the earth is far older than …

National Trust: “To ensure that no further misunderstanding or misrepresentation of this exhibit can occur, we have decided to review the interpretive materials in this section.”

Pete Baker on July 18, 2012, 2:05 pm | Readers 93

As the BBC report, after a fortnight of stonewalling and denials, and temporarily closing comments at their press blog, the National Trust has announced that they intend “to review the interpretive materials” in the controversial section of their Giants’ Causeway Interpretive Centre. [Have the Geological Society had a word in their shell-like? – Ed] They’re still blaming everyone else. However, one small part of the visitor centre’s interpretive display has caused mixed reactions, mainly from people reacting to media coverage and …

Memo to the National Trust…

Pete Baker on July 10, 2012, 5:26 pm | Readers 47

The “intellectual baboons” behind young-Earth creationism at the National Trust’s Giants’ Causeway Interpretive Centre are singing your praises in letters to the editor and op-eds in the News Letter ‘Caleb’ had engaged over many months with elected representatives and the National Trust on this. The step taken by the Trust is a small, but welcome, move towards greater inclusivity. [added emphasis] It is though, of itself, significant. For the first time a younger earth interpretation has now been included as part …

Giants’ Causeway Interpretive Centre: “The National Trust fully supports the scientific explanation for the creation of the stones 60 million years ago”

Pete Baker on July 6, 2012, 4:07 pm | Readers 161

Which is fine, but misses the point. The National Trust continues to try to defend its decision to give in to the lobbying of the Caleb Foundation and include young-Earth creationist beliefs in the Giants’ Causeway Interpretive Centre. [Are they after the crank pound? – Ed] Maybe… and maybe not. Yesterday’s NT press office blog carried this quote A National Trust spokesperson said: “The interpretation in the visitor centre showcases the science of how the stones were formed, the history of …

Giants’ Causeway Interpretive Centre: “This is, as far as we are aware, a first for the National Trust anywhere in the UK, and it sets a precedent for others to follow…”

Pete Baker on July 5, 2012, 2:27 pm | Readers 191

John’s professed concern is misplaced. As the National Trust press release on the “new state-of-the-art visitor centre” at the Unesco World Heritage Site Giants’ Causeway noted New interactive displays and activities inside the visitor centre include an animation of the legend of Finn McCool and an innovative hand-held audio guide. Such distractions aside, and without access to the material at issue, the quotes in the UTV report from the National Trust raise serious questions. The trust said that the exhibit gives …

#GiantsCauseway: Fenians lose out to Bible.

John Ó Néill on July 5, 2012, 12:01 am | Readers 67

*sigh* According to UTV, the Giant’s Causeway Visitor Centre now includes exhibits that acknowlegde the young-earth Creationist view of how the world-famous stones are formed. Pete has detailed the backstory to this before and others have picked up the creationist lobbying trail around the Ulster Museum. UTV report that The National Trust said it wanted to “reflect and respect” the fact that some people contest the views of mainstream science. With that, the National Trust have now neatly denigrated and rejected centuries …