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The David Keir Building

Finding solutions to global challenges

The David Keir Building is named after the eminent Vice-Chancellor Sir David Lindsay Keir (1895–1973). Opened in 1959, the construction of the building marked the beginning of a great expansion of the University following the Second World War.

This tour will give you an insight into the history of the building, introduce you to the world-class research that is conducted there, and offer a behind-the-scenes visit to the Queen's University Ionic Liquid Laboratories (QUILL) Research Centre and the Institute for Global Food Security.

This tour includes:

  • A brief history of the building.
  • A guided visit to QUILL.
  • A guided visit to the Institute for Global Food Security.

Did you know?

  • The David Keir building was once described as ‘the greatest addition to the University property in its history’.
  • The building houses the University’s first Combined Heat and Power Plant. This technology works by generating electricity while also capturing the heat produced during the generating process. This heat is then used to warm buildings and provide hot water.
  • Located opposite the Friar’s Bush Graveyard (thought to be Belfast’s oldest Christian burial ground) and close to the site of a former monastic settlement believed to date back to the third or fourth century AD, the David Keir building has its own share of ghost stories. These centre on a dark underground tunnel connecting the Ashby and David Keir wings.