Bank note features Nobel Prize-winning NI astrophysicist Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell

An astrophysicist from Co Armagh will feature on a new bank note from Ulster Bank.
By Graeme Cousins
Published 8th Mar 2022, 00:01 BST
Terry Robb, Head of Personal Banking, Ulster Bank, and Sandra Wright, Senior HR Manager, reveal the designs for the bank’s new £50 note at a former linen mill in Portview Trade Centre, BelfastTerry Robb, Head of Personal Banking, Ulster Bank, and Sandra Wright, Senior HR Manager, reveal the designs for the bank’s new £50 note at a former linen mill in Portview Trade Centre, Belfast
Terry Robb, Head of Personal Banking, Ulster Bank, and Sandra Wright, Senior HR Manager, reveal the designs for the bank’s new £50 note at a former linen mill in Portview Trade Centre, Belfast

The new polymer £50 note, which will come into circulation this summer (June 15), features Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell’s iconic 1967 discovery of pulsars – spherical, compact objects that are about the size of a large city but contain more mass than the sun.

Dame Jocelyn, who was born in Lurgan, is considered one of the world’s foremost astrophysicists and was the first woman to be president of the Institute of Physics.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Her discovery was recognised with the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1974.

The notes will come into circulation in JuneThe notes will come into circulation in June
The notes will come into circulation in June

The design of the new £50 note, revealed today to mark International Women’s Day, heavily features women working in NI’s burgeoning life sciences industry.

It also portrays ‘millies’ working at the loom, as a homage to the unsung heroes of NI’s great linen industry. These women were seen as ‘unskilled operatives’ at the time.

There are also nods to the Province’s shipbuilding and aviation sectors, the creative industries, and NI’s place as a centre of excellence in cyber security.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

On the other side of the note, there are a range of flora and fauna found in NI.

Sandra Wright, senior HR manager at Ulster Bank said: “This new note has a particular focus on women and women’s role in life and industry here, including amazing achievements such as Dame Jocelyn’s discovery of pulsars. We are really honoured to release the design today on International Women’s Day.”

Terry Robb, head of personal banking, added: “We have experienced a huge increase in customers moving to digital transactions but bank notes continue to be an important part of the way that many people interact with us.”

——— ———

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers — and consequently the revenue we receive — we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Ben Lowry

Editor

Related topics:Ulster Bank