On Friday the 15th of December 1882, a devastating fire broke out in the drying shed at the Lucifer Matchstick Factory in Millfield Place, Belfast. The factory would have stood roughly where the Castle Court carpark is now located.

The fire was started when a young lad inadvertently caused a spark after stepping on some flammable liquid that had been spilt on the ground. That spark ignited a fire that set the whole shed alight within seconds. While futile attempts were made to rescue trapped workers, four of them tragically lost their lives that day, and the eldest of these was just 18.

Interestingly, despite the dangerous nature of their work and the fact that the factory had already been rebuilt once following an earlier fire on the site (not to mention three other smaller fires since), specific recommendations contained within the Factories Act for this industry, were not implemented. The premises was routinely inspected but assessors signed it off as safe each time. Furthermore, there was no insurance in place at the factory either. Such a business would be shut down today, but in those times, regard for the safety of workers was not a priority. Mooted reservations were also expressed over the suitability of the factory’s location in a (poor) residential area, but following the inquest, during which no blame was apportioned, the factory was rebuilt, and business soon resumed at the site – albeit under a different name.

Residents living alongside the factory believed that the poor unfortunates who lost their lives during the fire, were trapped there and were haunting the site. They reported hearing terrifying cries and screams during the night, but these sounds appeared to cease when the factory later closed, and the building was demolished.