QUB students visit Carrickfergus to explore town’s rich history
Thursday 9 February 2023
A group of students from the department of Architecture and Media and the department of Broadcast Production at Queen’s University in Belfast, have visited Carrickfergus to launch their design and documentary coursework projects for this semester.
Each year, staff from the university choose an urban location in Northern Ireland to act as the real-life setting for their student’s programme of work. This year they chose Carrickfergus. The town’s rich history and unique setting present a range of opportunities and challenges that make it ideal as a location for learning about design in an urban context.
A senior lecturer from the Department of Architecture and Media said they have found the journey Mid and East Antrim Borough Council have embarked upon to regenerate Carrickfergus “particularly inspirational”.
Council staff welcomed the students with a tour of the town and the castle. They also provided a presentation outlining the history and development of Carrickfergus and explaining Council’s approach to regeneration in the town.
Students were shown how the Townscape Heritage Initiative has contributed to regeneration through the conservation of the town’s historic architecture. An overview was also provided of Council’s ambitions to repurpose and reposition Carrickfergus as a cultural tourism destination through the Belfast Region City Deal funded Carrickfergus Regeneration Project.
Carrickfergus is home to one of the most impressive castles on the island, a historic harbour and lough-side setting, a stunning Norman church, impressive sections of medieval walls and one of the best series of stories and sagas in the region.
Already benefiting from close proximity to Belfast and the enduring and ever-rising appeal of the Causeway Coastal Route, further investment will regenerate, reposition and rebrand the town to place it firmly on the map as an authentic heritage-led tourism hub and the ‘must visit’ starting point of the internationally recognised Causeway Coastal Route.
The planned investment in regeneration will strengthen the visitor offering at the south end of the Coastal Causeway Route, giving visitors a greater opportunity to consume the route as a whole, extending both their stay and their spending.
It is also intended that the investment will drive additional outcomes in terms of the economic benefits to Carrickfergus town centre; the provision of new training and employment opportunities and the promotion of social inclusion and well-being for local residents.