Bread & Benevolence - the rise of Barney Hughes, Master Baker.

Schedule

Wed Sep 23 2026 at 11:00 am to 01:00 pm

UTC+01:00
Location

Cathedral Church of St. Anne | Belfast, NI

Advertisement
The rise from baker's apprentice to town councillor, industrial magnate and philanthropist - explore the life of Barney Hughes on this tour
About this Event

Bernard Hughes was the most successful baker in Victorian Ireland. He was a shrewd businessman, a philanthropist, a liberal Nationalist and the first Catholic councillor on the Town Corporation.

Barney is one of the most fondly-remembered citizen in the history of Belfast. He is still celebrated for feeding the poor of our city, particularly during the harrowing era of the Great Hunger.

As a steadying community leader during the most violent sectarian conflicts of the 1800s, he was a friend to implacable political opponents Daniel O’Connell and the Reverend Henry Cooke. His most enduring legacy is the ‘Belfast Bap’ – still sold in our home bakeries today.

This tour with local historian Mark Doherty will visit many of the sites that relate to Barney’s remarkable rags-to-riches story, revisiting the life of one on the most inspiring shapers of modern Belfast.


The tour lasts around 2 hours, starting at St Annes Cathedral and ending at the Black Man Statue in front of RBAI.

Advertisement

Where is it happening?

Cathedral Church of St. Anne, Donegall Street, Belfast, United Kingdom

Event Location & Nearby Stays:

Tickets

GBP 0.00 to GBP 20.00

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
Friar's Bush Graveyard Tours
Host or PublisherFriar's Bush Graveyard Tours

Ask AI if this event suits you