Colin Heritage, Northern Ireland history

Slide 1

Introducing Colin Heritage

From past to present: our mission - to tell the story of the Colin area

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Rich heritage, bright future

“Like a microcosm of Irish history": learn about the complex history of Colin"

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Colin Heritage trail

We’ve built a trail linking some fascinating people and places

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Spotlight on the Troubles

Military intrigue, Bobby Sands MP, DeLorean and the 1994 ceasefires

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Special places, special people

A medical pioneer, a 1798 revolutionary, a unique female explorer, the Lion of Dunmurry: all these and much more

A Rich Past, A Bright Future

Welcome to Colin Heritage, the website setting out the Northern Ireland history and context of the area we live in.

The Colin area encompasses a large stretch of the outskirts of Belfast and Lisburn, from Dumurry to Hannahstown, but focused on the areas of Twinbrook, Poleglass, Lagmore and Kilwee, over-looked by Colin Mountain.

We have a fascinating history. Indeed, it has been said that the history of our area is a microcosm of the belfast history of Ireland itself.

From Celtic times, to the early development of Belfast, through Penal days, the United Irishmen, the rise of the Linen industry, medical legend Frank Pantridge, the Troubles and beyond – we have it all.

Come and join us!

Explore Colin's heritage in video

Big houses, bigger personalities, revolution, military disaster, political intrigue – all this and more make up our rich history. Amongst the resources we have developed is a series of videos that tell the stories and in a compelling and entertaining way, led by our eminent historical advisor, Dr Eamon Phoenix.

Below is a trailer. Find out more on our video page

Latest from our blog

Cloona House - at the heart of our past, present and future

At the heart of our heritage efforts are two things: the heritage trail, and historic Cloona House.

Cloona, a Victorian mansion in Italianate style, was once the preserve of wealthy families like the Grimshaws and the Jaffes.

Then it became the residence of the British General Officer Commanding (GOC), the head of the British army here. It was a key hub for military and stategic planning during World War II.

When the Troubles broke out in 1969, Cloona was still home to the GOC and military operations, including internment, were planned here.

It was only in the early 1980s, that the military left Cloona and it was taken over by the Catholic Church and used for many religious and community initiatives.

Today, Cloona is at the heart of Colin, and is the base for Colin Neighbourhood Partnership and other community initiatives.

We hope to further develop Cloona and restore some or all of it to its former glory in the future. You can find out more about Cloona in our video: The Secrets of Cloona House