Decade of Centenaries | Ulster 1885 - 1925

The Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum is located in Market Square at the heart of Lisburn's old town centre. The Museum has a permanent exhibition 'Flax to Fabric, the story of linen' in the Irish Linen Centre and mounts a programme of temporary exhibitions relating to its textile, social history and art collections. The collections encompass all aspects of the history of the Irish linen industry and the history and cultural heritage of the Lisburn and Lagan Valley region.

Sentry Hill is a 19th century farmhouse in the parish of Carnmoney, County Antrim. The house and its contents provide a rare insight into life in rural Ulster during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Sentry Hill was the home of the McKinney family, who came to Ireland from Scotland in the early 1700s. Remarkably the contents of the house have survived along with an extraordinary collection of artefacts, both from the local area and from around the world.

The Ballycastle museum is housed in the 18th century courthouse and market building. The collection includes the very important and fine Irish Homes Industries Workshop which was part on the Arts and Crafts Revival in Ireland. The first Glen Feis in 1904, with lead organiser F. J. Bigger, featured banners designed by John Campbell, representing the nine glens of Antrim. The magnificent Taise banner is now the only known one in existence from that Feis and is on display in Ballycastle Museum. There is also social history material of the 19th and 20th century and a photographic and postcard archive.

Ballymoney museum holds a collection of artefacts, film and photographs, some of which have been recognised as of national importance. The permanent exhibition contains remarkable and unique artefacts associated with the colourful history of this region and includes information on the Ballymoney Workhouse and the local Home Rule campaign. The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions, often based on local history. Combined with this are lectures, coach tours and seasonal activities for young people.

The finds on display at Carrickfergus Museum provide a remarkable glimpse into life in the town from the Medieval period to more recent times. The displays reflect the experiences of ordinary people and illustrate the dramatic and tumultuous events in the town's history. Also featured is the Community Archive gallery that provides opportunities for the local community to contribute their memories, photographs and objects to the ever-evolving story of Carrickfergus. The Gallery features special exhibitions produced by the museum, as well as touring exhibitions from other museums and institutions.

The Museum and Arts Centre is based in what was Carnegie Library which originally opened in 1906. This historic building, beautifully restored and renovated, with many original features remaining intact houses Larne Museum with its modern and attractive displays, reflecting the distinctive history and heritage of the area. Events and exhibitions are regularly held in the Museum and Arts Centre and the McNeill Theatre. Larne Museum and Arts Centre currently offer a variety of Victorian learning experiences.  

Discover the story of mid-Antrim from earliest times to the present day through interactive displays and collections of artefacts of local and national significance. The museum features a varied range of events and exhibitions throughout the year. The venue also holds a mixed social history collection, primarily based on the 19th and 20th centuries, reflecting the rich history of the borough and includes industrial, commercial and rural life artefacts. The museum has developed an online learning resource as an extension to the Museum's collection. 'New perspectives Home Rule Crisis 1911-1914' http://newperspectives.thebraid.com is intended to support classroom teaching of the Home Rule period by focusing on the local story in Ballymena during the period of 1911-1914.

The Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum is in Sovereign’s House, a Grade B listed building which can be found at one end of The Mall about 10 metres from the Court House. The permanent exhibition reveals the story of the regiment and features uniforms, medals, regalia, weapons and two Victoria Crosses. The regimental archive and library may be viewed by appointment.

Discover a rich and varied legacy revealed in objects ranging from prehistoric artefacts to household items from a bygone age. The museum's exhibitions capture centuries of stories relating to the people who lived, worked and had connections with this famous city and historic county. The militaria collection on show include uniforms, rifles, swords, belt plates, buttons, ceramics, glass and silver ware. This modern history collection reflects the lives of people who have lived and worked in Armagh or have been associated with the county. The permanent displays show transport, industry, social life and traditions.

This is a beautifully restored stone outbuilding beside Fairview House at Tannaghmore Gardens, Lurgan which houses a permanent exhibition across five galleries illustrating the bygone days of farming and household chores in County Armagh. The building contains the school room and blacksmith room.

Visit the museum at no 57 and guided tours will reveal the fascinating world the extraordinary McCrum family, the spectacular house they built and life at the Manor House School. One of the only mill houses open to the public in its original model village setting in Northern Ireland. Presented as a family home no 57 William Street has unique warm and welcoming feeling. Packed with the remaining contents of Milford House family possessions including documents and costumes, the Manor House School collections and fine collections of Georgian, Regency and Victorian furniture from Somerset House London, and old master paintings.

Visit the Keady Heritage Centre to discover the story of local linen production from the 1840s. The collection includes a model of a working mill, a weaving loom, local history exhibits, photographs and music recordings.

The museum houses an extensive collection of uniforms, badges, medals and regimental memorabilia covering the history of the Regiment and the campaigns in which it has fought since its formation in 1793. 5 Waring Street is close to the city centre in the cathedral quarter, behind the black steel railings of 9-13 Waring Street. Enter the museum using any of the footway gates.

As Northern Ireland's treasure house of the past and present, the museum is home to a rich collection of art, history and natural sciences and free to all visitors. From Ireland to the South Pacific, ancient relics to hands on activities, the museum offers something for everyone from the simply curious to the enthusiast.

The Linen Hall Library is a truly unique institution. Founded in 1788, it is the oldest library in Belfast and the last subscribing library in Ireland. It is renowned for its unparalleled Irish and Local Studies Collection, ranging from comprehensive holdings of early Belfast and Ulster printed books to the 250,000 items in the Northern Ireland Political Collection, the definitive archive of the recent troubles. The Library also boasts the Northern Ireland Theatre and Performing Arts Archive, a unique collection reflecting our rich cultural heritage.

Situated on Royal Avenue, Belfast’s main shopping thoroughfare, Belfast Central Library is a good place to research local history with early Belfast printed books, photographs, maps and exhibitions, while its extensive newspaper collections contain several contemporary articles on Titanic. It is also Northern Ireland's major lending library. Inside you'll find the Bryson and MacAdam Collection - important 18th and 19th century Irish language manuscripts, many of which are unique in Ireland.

The Police Museum was set up in the 1980's to explain and illustrate Northern Ireland's unique and often contentious policing history. The collection includes police uniforms, equipment, medals and archives from the early 1800s to the present day and also weapons used against the police over the years. Visitors are personally shown round by the curator, which takes about 40 minutes. There is also a reference library and archive which allows visitors to find information on ancestors who served in the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) and early Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC). Academic researchers are welcome to use the museum's archive of police records from the 1840s onwards.

The Titanic experience is a state-of-the-art visitor experience telling the story of the Titanic, from its conception in Belfast in the early 1900s, through its construction and launch, to its famous maiden voyage and tragic end. The story is brought up to the present with the discovery of the wreck and into the future with live links to contemporary undersea exploration. The galleries employ a variety of interactive media including CGI, film, audio, artefacts and full-scale replicas; a high point will be a ride through the Titanic under construction.

Step aboard the newly refurbished SS Nomadic. In 1911, Harland & Wolff built the SS Nomadic as the first and second class passenger tender to the Titanic. Now, over 100 years later, the last remaining White Star Line ship has been restored to her original glory and is back home in Belfast’s historic Hamilton Dock. Come on board and experience over 100 years of authentic maritime and social history.

This 600 ton barge moored on the River Lagan at Lanyon Quay houses a vibrant interactive museum which tells the story of Belfast's proud maritime history. Although once the world’s biggest shipbuilding city, by the end of the twentieth century, shipbuilding in Belfast had declined to the point where Harland & Wolff consisted of little more than 100 employees. Lagan Boat Co. recovered a significant archive of ships engineering plans and placed them on display together with video accounts of the personal stories of those with a direct involvement with the industry.

Titanic's Dock and Pump-House comprises a 7-acre scheduled monument site which includes the Thompson Dry Dock and its associated Pump-House. The Pump-House was once the beating heart of Harland & Wolff's operation during the construction of the great White Star Liners - Britannic, Olympic and most famously the RMS Titanic. The Thompson Dock itself is the footprint of Titanic and provides an amazing representation of the scale of the ship. Today the Pump-House comprises of a Visitor Centre & Café with daily guided tours in operation - the only publicly accessible intact piece of the Titanic's great legacy which is open in the city of her birthplace, Belfast.

PRONI aims to identify, preserve and make available Northern Ireland's unique archival heritage and community memory. Visitors can search the archives, visit the exhibition and attend talks on various topics of local history.

The Somme Heritage Centre opened in 1994 as an educational facility and tourist attraction. It examines Ireland’s role in the Great War with special reference to local cross-community involvement in the three volunteer Divisions raised in Ireland: the 10th and 16th (Irish) Divisions, and the 36th (Ulster) Division.

Step back in time in and uncover a way of life from 100 years ago. Discover cottages, farms, schools and shops as you wander through the beautiful parkland of the Folk Museum chatting to costumed visitor guides demonstrating traditional crafts. Climb on and off majestic steam locomotives or experience the sensation of flight in the Transport Museum bursting with horse drawn carriages, electric trams, motorbikes, fire-engines and vintage cars. The innovative Titanic trail links the world-class Titanic exhibition in the Transport Museum to the outdoor Folk Museum recreating people’s daily routines, activities and stories in the age of Titanic.

Down County Museum is located in the restored eighteenth century County Gaol of Down. The museum collects, conserves and interprets those objects which best illustrate the history, culture and environment of County Down. The collection includes domestic items, a photographic archive, costume and textiles, archaeological materials, fine and applied art, farming objects, industrial and commercial objects, sporting memorabilia, medals, coins and postcards, social history and leisure and recreation. The museum's permanent exhibition, Down Through Time, tells the story of the human history of County Down from earliest times to today.

Inside the beautiful 820 acre walled demesne you will find Castle Ward; the home of the Ward family since the 16th century. The house has one of the most complete demesne landscapes to survive in Ireland and contains a Victorian laundry, cornmill and sawmill. Situated in a stunning location overlooking Strangford Lough, the lawns rise up to the unique 18th century house and its Gothic façade.

Home of the Vane-Tempest-Stewart family, the Marquises of Londonderry, Mount Stewart is surrounded by glorious, unique and unusual gardens. The house and its contents reflect the history of the Vane-Tempest-Stewart family, who played a leading role in British and Irish social and political life. The garden reflects a rich tapestry of design and great planting artistry that was the hallmark of Lady Londonderry.

Established in 1986, Newry and Mourne Museum aims to provide a dynamic and inclusive recreational and educational resource reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the local area. The permanent exhibitions highlight the museum's diverse collection which include material relating to prehistory, Ulster's Gaelic Order and the working life and folk traditions of rural and mountain areas. Gallery 2 focuses on the expansion of Newry during the 17th - 19th centuries. Gallery 3 charts the influence of political and economic events on the history of the area and on the lives of local people in the 20th century.

North Down Museum tells the story of the North Down area from the Bronze Age to the present day, each exhibition is dedicated to a particular era of local history. Pieces from the Bronze Age, Early Christian, Plantation and Jordan Collections are all on display in permanent exhibitions. Further temporary exhibitions are arranged from time to time to bring lesser seen items out of our stores.

Grey Point Fort is one of the best preserved early 20th century coastal forts anywhere in the British Isles. Situated in Helen's Bay, Grey Point Fort houses a most unusual hands-on military museum. The fort was completed in 1907 with at its heart two massive 6 inch diameter guns which commanded the entrance to Belfast Lough. Volunteers have created a great museum of military memorabilia, including medals, uniforms, photographs and weaponry from the First and Second World Wars. There is also a unique collection of radio equipment, together with a section devoted to the Titanic.

The Museum has two main exhibitions ("Story of Derry" and "La Trinidad Valancera- An Armada Shipwreck ") and hosts a wide programme of touring exhibitions and events throughout the year. Using audiovisual presentations and inter-active displays the Story of Derry Exhibition takes the visitor from the area's geological formation 500 million years ago through the Pre-Christian period, English conquest, Plantation, the Siege of Derry, Famine and Emigration, Industrial City, World Wars and the recent "Troubles".

The Coleraine collection stems from the town's remarkable history. As well as being the location of the first known settlement in Ireland at Mountsandel and the first 'planted' town in Ulster, the town also produced 'Coleraine's' linen, the finest of Irish Linen. Although Coleraine Museum does not currently have a permanent venue, temporary exhibitions, workshops and other activities are held in Coleraine Town Hall. The Hugh Thomson Study Room, in Coleraine Town Hall, is open by appointment.

Hezlett’s picturesque thatched cottage exterior hides a fascinating early timber frame dating from 1690, making it one of the oldest vernacular domestic buildings in Northern Ireland. The story of the house and the reality of farming life is told through the experiences of the people who lived there.

The Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre is home to the Limavady Museum. It has a dedicated heritage space - the Ritter Gallery - where temporary exhibitions of local and regional significance run throughout the year. The majority of Limavady Museum’s collections are also stored in purpose-built facilities onsite. Green Lane Museum is Limavady Museum’s seasonal venue. Here, visitors can view historical exhibits relating to the linen and agricultural industries and experience the true flavour of days gone by in Limavady and the Roe Valley. The museum is also home to the Limavady and District War Memorial which lists the names of those who fought and died in the First World War.

Situated in the walled garden of the former Garvagh Estate, the museum's collections cover many aspects of rural and domestic life in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Garvagh Museum contains a blacksmith's shop, displays of horse-drawn agricultural machinery, a boat from nearby eel fishery, farming implements, a jaunting car and Victoriana.

Silverbrook Mill is nestled in a beautiful woodland valley alongside the River Dennett one and a half miles from the village of Dunamanagh in County Tyrone. The property comprises a hand cut stone corn mill building with a waterwheel, a traditional two room miller’s cottage, a flax scutching mill with another water wheel, two free standing cut stone high ceilinged buildings and three attached derelict cottages - all standing on 5 open acres running alongside the river.

Enniskillen is the only town in the United Kingdom to have given its name to two regiments; the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards. The museum tells the story of these regiments through its extensive regimental collection. The very recently modernised museum features a wide range of original uniforms, weapons, silver, medals and regimental memorabilia including eight Victoria Crosses awarded during World War I and the bugle that sounded the advance of the 36th (Ulster) Division at the opening of the Battle of the Somme 1st July 1916. The collection is displayed in chronological order in the keep of Enniskillen Castle.

The museum is located within and around the historic Enniskillen Castle and reflects Fermanagh's history, culture and environment. The collections are of local, regional, national and, in certain areas, of international significance. The museum owns one of the most important collections of Belleek Pottery. Throughout the year, the museum provides a changing exhibition programme, covering a wide diversity of subjects, of local as well as general interest.

This 18th-century property is the former home of the Earls of Enniskillen and enjoys a peaceful setting in west Fermanagh, with a dramatic backdrop of mountains and forests. Every aspect of life in this classical Irish house, with its fine interiors and exquisite decoration, is brought to life on the guided tours. Outside there are numerous places to explore, including a sawmill, ice house and thatched summer house.

The Headhunters Barber Shop & Railway Museum boasts one of the largest collections of Irish railway memorabilia on display. Starting at the reconstructed booking office, where the ticket collector invites you to step on board, your journey recreates railway travel through Fermanagh and the border counties until the closing of the lines in 1957, with lovingly created exhibits like the Station Master’s office, booking office and signal box. You’ll find an absorbing range of memorabilia including uniforms, signaling instruments, signs, lamps, tableware, timetables, tickets and photographs from the three local railway companies.

Immerse yourself in the world famous story of Irish emigration at the museum that brings it to life. Follow the emigrant trail as you journey from the thatched cottages of Ulster, on board a full scale emigrant sailing ship leading to the log cabins of the American Frontier. Meet an array of costumed characters on your way with traditional crafts to show, tales to tell and food to share.

The core of the council's museum collection is formed by “The Dunbar Collection”. This is a collection which encompasses several collection areas such as photography, Victoriana, militaria, fine arts and folk life. The service has no display venue as such, but engages in active co-operation with school, community/history groups throughout the district.

Based at Naomh Colm Cille GAA grounds in Carrickmore in mid-Tyrone, the centre encompasses aspects of social, economic, political, sporting and geographical history relating to the local area. This is enhanced with artefacts, which span from historic times to the modern day. The exhibitions change on a regular basis and include a PW McNally exhibition that explores the sporting and political life of this key figure in the setting up of the Gaelic Athletic Association and “Making a Living” and farming displays.

Nestling in an idyllic wooded glen offering lovely walks and picnic spots this, the last working water-powered linen beetling mill, offers a unique experience for all the family. Try some scutching, hackling and weaving as you take part in hands-on demonstrations, against the thundering cacophony of beetling engines.