The Assembly Buildings in

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

, are the headquarters of the

Presbyterian Church in Ireland The Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI; ga, Eaglais Phreispitéireach in Éirinn; Ulster-Scots: ''Prisbytairin Kirk in Airlann'') is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the Republic of Ireland, and the largest Protestant denomination in ...

. Although there was a decision taken to move to a new location the

General Assembly A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company. Specific examples of general assembly include: Churches * General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of presb ...

, in 2005, voted to overturn the decision. Since the refurbishment, in 1992, the Assembly Buildings are now open for functions as a commercial conference centre.

Location

The building is located near the centre of Belfast at the junction of Fisherwick Place, Great Victoria Street, Howard Street and Grosvenor Road. It was built in 1905, in the Gothic style, and opened by the Duke of Argyll. It is dominated by a 40m high clock tower, which contains Belfast's only peal of 12 bells. It is home to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The Assembly Hall is oval-shaped with a gallery, and can seat 1,300 people. The hall is illuminated by a glass skylight, which is now illuminated artificially.

The Spires

Following its refurbishment in 1992 it also functions as a commercial conference centre, Assembly Buildings Conference Centre. The city centre location close to major hotels makes it an ideal conference location. In recent years it has hosted such major events as the International Housing Conference, Tom Peters Business Seminar and the European Union Women's Conference, May 1998.

External links

The Presbyterian Church in Ireland homepage

Assembly Buildings information pageThe Spires homepage for the old conference centre

Homepage for the current conference centre
Presbyterian Church in Ireland Buildings and structures in Belfast Denomination headquarters in the United Kingdom Grade B1 listed buildings Presbyterianism in the United Kingdom {{NorthernIreland-struct-stub