The Ulster Hospital--a short history.

The Ulster Hospital was founded on the philanthropy of the people of Belfast a town which, in the second half of the nineteenth century, was undergoing a population explosion resulting from industrial expansion: 97,784 souls in 1851 had become 174,412 in 1871, 255,950 in 1891, and 386,947 in 1911; furthermore, the surrounding districts shared in this expansion. There were many industries, but linen manufacture and shipbuilding were the most important and they brought about growth in many other trades. The results of this success were many wealth for the owners, over-crowding, long working hours (in often damp, dusty conditions) and consequently ill health for the workers. It was not surprising that there were many hospitals opened to cater for the maladies of the poor and these were provided by the better off. The Ulster Hospital for Children was one of them.