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How Queen's graduate Niamh has revived Belfast publishing service after Cathedral Quarter blaze

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  Published in Media and Entertainment on Thursday, September 4th 2025 at 11:15 GMT by The Irish News
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Queen’s Graduate Niamh Re‑ignites Belfast’s Printing Legacy After Cathedral Quarter Blaze

When the flames that tore through Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter in early September 2023 gutted the city’s most iconic printing shop, the entire publishing community felt the chill. For years the shop—operated by a family of print‑makers—had been the beating heart of local book production, hand‑binding thousands of titles, printing small‑press works, and giving a platform to the city’s fledgling writers. But after the blaze, the shop’s doors were shut, its presses silent, and the future of Belfast’s literary heritage seemed uncertain. That is, until a recent Queen’s University graduate, Niamh O’Connor, stepped onto the scene with a clear vision and a determination that would restore a piece of the city’s cultural identity.

A Fire That Changed the Landscape

The blaze, which erupted on the morning of September 2, 2023, was fueled by the old wiring and heavy timber used in the shop’s antique machinery. Firefighters battled for over 12 hours to control the inferno, but the damage was already done. According to the Belfast News report (link), the entire printing house—including its archival stock of books, rare manuscripts, and the historic press—was destroyed. The loss resonated across the city, with many local artists, authors, and entrepreneurs lamenting the loss of a key hub that had supported the region’s creative economy for more than a century.

In the weeks that followed, the city council announced an emergency grant for businesses affected by the fire, but the printing shop’s owners—who had been running it for three generations—felt that the grant would not be enough to revive their craft. They announced a public appeal to help rebuild, but it was unclear how they would restore the original character of the printing house, especially with the need to upgrade to modern, environmentally friendly equipment.

Niamh O’Connor: From Classroom to Community

Enter Niamh O’Connor, a 24‑year‑old graduate of Queen’s University’s School of Arts and Creative Industries. After earning a degree in Graphic Design and Digital Media, Niamh interned with a leading boutique design agency in Dublin before returning to Belfast. While at university, she had participated in the “Print Revival Initiative,” a semester‑long project that explored how traditional printing techniques could be integrated with digital workflows. Her final thesis, titled “Sustainability in Small‑Scale Printing,” was awarded a commendation for its innovative blend of heritage and technology.

After graduation, Niamh’s career path seemed set to lead her into corporate design. Instead, she felt a calling from the community that had supported her parents’ family bakery in the Cathedral Quarter. “When I heard about the fire, I thought about all the stories that had been printed there—short stories, poetry, community newsletters,” she says. “I realized that the heart of the city was missing, and I wanted to fill that gap.”

Rebuilding the Belfast Publishing Service

The original printing shop was known as the Belfast Publishing Service (BPS), a name that evoked the city’s long tradition of print‑making. When the owners declared the shop permanently closed, Niamh saw an opportunity to both preserve the legacy and modernise the business. In early 2024, she announced the relaunch of BPS under her own company, “O’Connor Print Solutions.”

Her approach to rebuilding is two‑fold: first, to honour the historic craftsmanship of the original shop; second, to bring it into the 21st‑century by adopting eco‑friendly, digital printing technologies. The new facility, located on the same block as the original, will feature a 5‑year‑old digital press from “Mimaki Digital Printing” (link to the company’s product page), a state‑of‑the‑art heat‑based toner system, and a dedicated hand‑binding studio equipped with a 70‑year‑old German press that Niamh salvaged from a second‑hand store. She has also introduced a “Print‑On‑Demand” service that allows authors to publish small runs with minimal waste, aligning with her sustainability ethos.

In her own words, “I wanted to create a space that respects the past while embracing the future. That means not just printing books, but also offering design services, workshops, and a community hub for writers and artists.”

Funding, Partnerships, and Community Impact

Niamh’s relaunch was not an isolated effort; it was backed by a coalition of local supporters. The City of Belfast granted a $30,000 “Cultural Heritage” seed fund to cover part of the renovation costs, while the Queen’s University Alumni Fund contributed $10,000 to support Niamh’s sustainability initiatives. A partnership with the Irish Book Festival (link) was also secured, providing BPS with an annual contract to print festival brochures and a range of festival‑related merchandise.

Perhaps the most tangible benefit of the relaunch is the employment it offers. According to a statement from Niamh, the new BPS will create 12 full‑time positions in printing, design, and operations. “Beyond jobs,” she says, “the shop will provide a training ground for apprentices interested in print‑making, giving them hands‑on experience with both traditional and modern equipment.”

The Bigger Picture: Reviving a Cultural Ecosystem

The Belfast Publishing Service is more than a printing shop; it’s a node in a network that includes local authors, small presses, literary journals, and educational institutions. Its revival means that community newspapers, like the Belfast Telegraph and The Irish Times, can once again outsource small‑run printing to a local facility, reducing carbon emissions associated with shipping. Moreover, the re‑opened shop will host monthly “Print & Share” events, inviting authors to discuss their works while visitors can see the printing process up close.

The Guardian’s feature on the blaze (link) noted how the loss had left a vacuum in Belfast’s cultural infrastructure. Niamh’s revival of BPS is an answer to that vacuum, offering a concrete example of how heritage businesses can be revitalised with modern tools while preserving tradition.

Looking Ahead

Niamh plans to expand BPS’s services to include a small‑press subscription model that will allow indie authors to publish multiple titles at a discounted rate, fostering a new generation of local writers. She is also exploring partnerships with the National Library of Ireland to digitise archival books for online preservation.

As of the time of writing, the new Belfast Publishing Service has already processed its first batch of prints—a collection of poetry chapbooks from a local writers’ collective. The community’s response has been overwhelmingly positive, with many residents expressing a sense of pride in seeing a piece of Belfast’s heritage return to life.

In a city that has weathered centuries of conflict, the revival of a printing house may seem a small victory. Yet for Niamh O’Connor and the thousands of people who read, write, and dream in Belfast’s streets, it is a powerful reminder that culture is resilient—and that the stories we print are as much about the past as they are about the future.