Abandoned NI: Uncovering the Stories Hidden Within Abandoned Spaces

Abandoned NI is a photography project dedicated to documenting abandoned and forgotten buildings all over Ireland, preserving the stories and histories connected to places often left behind and overlooked. Through striking photographic documentation, the project captures not only the visual beauty of these spaces, but also explores the rich heritage, architecture, and past lives of properties that once played an important role in local communities.

As part of Culture Night Belfast at The Linen Hall, this talk by Abandoned NI’s Rebecca Brownlie, takes audiences behind some of these fascinating locations in Belfast and across Northern Ireland, uncovering the stories hidden within abandoned spaces and demonstrating how photography can act as a powerful tool for preserving history before these places are lost forever.

About Rebecca Brownlie

Abandoned NI is the work of Rebecca Brownlie, a photographer, author and storyteller dedicated to documenting abandoned buildings throughout Ireland and beyond. Through striking photography and historical research, she captures forgotten spaces as important pieces of architectural heritage, preserving the stories of the people who once lived, worked and built their lives within them.
She is the author of Abandoned Ireland Vol 1 and Abandoned Ireland Vol 2, showcasing some of Ireland’s most fascinating lost and forgotten places. Her work has also featured on television, including presenting the documentary Abandoned Ulster, which explored her work documenting Northern Ireland’s abandoned spaces and the stories connected to them.

Alongside photography, she regularly delivers public talks on abandoned places, architecture and social history, and offers exclusive guided tours inside abandoned buildings, providing rare access to remarkable forgotten locations while sharing the history, heritage and human stories that continue to live within these spaces.

Image: Edendork Dance Hall, County Tyrone