The Linen Hall

17/06/2026

The 1939 Diary of a Belfast Cinema-goer
Friday 19th June – 1pm - 2pm
£6 Members – £7.50 Non-Members

In this talk, cinema historian Sam Manning uses a 1939 diary to explore cinema-going habits in 1930s Belfast.

The anonymous diarist recorded and rated all 325 films they saw in 1939, revealing their preferences at a time when a trip to the flicks was the most popular leisure activity. The talk also looks at the diarist’s favourite venues, including picture palaces such as the Majestic and the Ritz. Although the writer never recorded their name, the diary entries contain clues that may help reveal their identity.

Join Sam to discover more about Belfast’s cinema history and perhaps help uncover the mystery diarist.

To book your ticket, please visit: https://linenhall.com/event/the-1939-diary-of-a-belfast-cinema-goer/

In this talk, cinema historian Sam Manning uses a 1939 diary to explore cinema-going habits in 1930s Belfast. The anonymous diarist recorded and rated all 325 films they saw in […]

16/06/2026

Another satisfied customer! 🐶

You never know what treasures you will find at The Linen Hall Charity Bookshop.

Call into our new store for a visit at the corner of Rosemary Street and Lombard Street.

15/06/2026

THE FUTURE OF INTEGRATED EDUCATION IN NORTHERN IRELAND
Wednesday 17 June – 5:30pm - 7pm
£6 Members – £7.50 Non-Members

Join us for a compelling panel discussion exploring the future of integrated education in Northern Ireland. Our panellists include Paul Caskey (Chief Executive Officer of the Integrated Education Fund), Stephen Roulston (Honorary Research Fellow at Ulster University) and Michele Marken (former Principal of St Joseph’s College).

The panel will reflect on the history of integrated education and consider how recent developments — including the 2022 Integrated Education Act and recent decisions on Bangor Academy and Rathmore Primary School — may shape the future of the integrated sector within Northern Ireland’s wider education system.

To learn more, please visit: https://linenhall.com/event/the-future-of-integrated-education-in-northern-ireland/

Join us for a compelling panel discussion exploring the future of integrated education in Northern Ireland. Our panellists include Paul Caskey (Chief Executive Officer of the Integrated Education Fund), Stephen […]

12/06/2026

The Linen Hall Tour
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday each week* 10:30 - 11:15
£10.00

Join us on a tour of the oldest library in the Belfast and the only remaining subscription library in Ireland. Housed in a Victorian-era former linen warehouse on Donegall Square North, The Linen Hall is home to The Belfast Library and Society for Promoting Knowledge which developed from the Belfast Reading Society which was founded on 13 May 1788.

This tour gives a general overview of the history of the library and its many unique collections, which cover a range of specialist areas from Irish history and politics to theatre and performing arts.

To learn more and to book, please visit: https://linenhall.com/tours/

11/06/2026

Due to recent changes to public transport, we will have to close the library at 4:30pm today.

We hope to be open as normal tomorrow.

Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

11/06/2026

Italian Summer School for Lower Intermediate
13th August – 1:30 pm - 4:00 pm
£65.00 – £75.00

This August (13-14 & 20-21), the Linen Hall Library will host its very first Italian Summer School: an engaging and interactive four-day programme spread across two consecutive weeks.

To learn more, please visit: https://linenhall.com/event/italian-summer-school-for-lower-intermediate/

10/06/2026

Due to recent changes to public transport, we have had to cancel our 1pm event and close the library.

We will be open as normal tomorrow.

Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

08/06/2026

The Political Collection Tour
10th June – 2:30 pm - 3:45 pm
£10.00

Come and explore The Linen Hall’s world-renowned political collection on a collections-based tour which explores the history of the recent past through the prism of the rare and unique artefacts and objects we have been collecting for over 50 years. Started in 1968 with one civil rights leaflet, this incredible collection now holds over 350,000 items; encompassing all shades of opinion, it is the definitive archive of the ‘Troubles’, peace process, and beyond.

To learn more, please visit: https://linenhall.com/event/the-political-collection-tour-70/

Come and explore The Linen Hall’s world-renowned political collection on a collections-based tour which explores the history of the recent past through the prism of the rare and unique artefacts […]

08/06/2026

Wonderful review of Chapter Coffee in The Linen Hall by Helen McGurk at Irish News.

If you want to visit yourself, you can come and enjoy everything Chapter Coffee has to offer from 9:30am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday. The cafe is located on the first floor of the library ☕️😋

https://www.irishnews.com/entertainment/chapter-coffee-review-tale-of-the-unexpected-at-belfasts-linen-hall-library-QRM6PB26B5HQDDVDRGUALSX5P4/

Once discovered, it’s hard to keep quiet about this library cafe, says Helen McGurk

03/06/2026

The 1939 Diary of a Belfast Cinema-goer
Friday 19th June – 1pm - 2pm
£6 Members – £7.50 Non-Members

In this talk, cinema historian Sam Manning uses a 1939 diary to explore cinema-going habits in 1930s Belfast.

The anonymous diarist recorded and rated all 325 films they saw in 1939, revealing their preferences at a time when a trip to the flicks was the most popular leisure activity. The talk also looks at the diarist’s favourite venues, including picture palaces such as the Majestic and the Ritz. Although the writer never recorded their name, the diary entries contain clues that may help reveal their identity.

Join Sam to discover more about Belfast’s cinema history and perhaps help uncover the mystery diarist.

To book your ticket, please visit: https://linenhall.com/event/the-1939-diary-of-a-belfast-cinema-goer/

LIBRARY, MUSEUM & ARCHIVE