Thanks to former Governor Andrew Gibson (1841-1931) The Linen Hall has one of the largest collections of Robert Burns outside of Scotland. Amassed towards the end of the 19th century, it was acquired for the city of Belfast in 1901 by public subscription and placed in The Linen Hall. With generous funding from the Department for Communities, we are delighted to shine a light on this expansive and historically significant collection, and to explore the wider influences of Robert Burns present in the poetry of our early Belfast and Provincial printed books, and Ulster-Scots collection.

Contributors will bring these collections to life by telling the fascinating stories of those who influenced Robert Burns, his popularity in Belfast and beyond, and enduring influence and relevance – from the Weaver poets to contemporary writers emulating his universal themes of love and nature, and language of everyday life. Spotlighting rare and unique volumes which have been digitally scanned for preservation, and conserved for posterity, ‘Fragments of Scotch Poetry’ is an inspiring insight into the social, historical, and linguistic importance of the poetry in the Linen Hall’s collections.