Heritage Walks of Ballymoney Town
Come and join Ballymoney Museum staff as they lead a guided walk around the town centre. Hear the fascinating history of this ancient settlement and look at buildings of historic interest.
Contrary to what has been previously been published, the first scheduled walk will not take place on Thursday 3rd July. However the other dates will take place as scheduled: 17th July, 31st July, 14th August, and 4th September.
All walks are free of charge and will take place from 11.45am – 12.30pm, starting from Ballymoney Town Hall.
These walks are organised by Ballymoney Borough Council Cultural Services. For further details contact Tourist Information on tel: 028 2766 0230.
Ballymoney Family History Festival
Ballymoney Museum would like to thank everyone who responded to the request for interest in a proposed genealogy event in 2009. People from across the world have contacted the museum to offer their support and contribute ideas. It has become clear that this has the potential to be a very popular event and a major attraction for genealogists everywhere.
The decision has therefore been taken that, subject to funding, plans will begin for the first ever Ballymoney Family History Festival.
However, since the original proposal was made public in November 2007, it has become increasingly clear that 2008-2009 will be extremely busy for Ballymoney Museum. All resources will need to be focused on the re-fit of the exhibition galleries, a £400,000 project that will be completed in the summer of 2009. Unfortunately, this will force the scheduling of the Festival back to Autumn 2010.
Full details will be made available early in 2009 to give everyone who would like to attend the opportunity to book travel etc. in advance. Although the delay is regrettable, the extra time will ensure that the Festival will be given the full commitment of the staff and that it will be a much more rewarding event for all those who take part.
If you would like to receive updates on the Ballymoney Family History Festival, please forward your details to museum@ballymoney.gov.uk.
Balnamore Mill Tour Cancelled
Ballymoney Borough Arts Committee and Ballymoney Museum regretfully announce that the tour of Balnamore Mill, scheduled to take place on Tuesday 24th June has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.
It is hoped that the tour will be rescheduled for later in the year. Watch press for further details.
The next tour in the series will take place as planned on Thursday 24 July and features buildings and sites of historic interest in the Kilraughts area. This will be followed on 19 August with a visit to places of historic interest in the Dunloy area. Both of these tours will be led by local historian S Alex Blair.
For both of these tours, the bus will depart from Townhead Street Car Park, Ballymoney at 6.30pm returning between 9.00 and 9.30pm. Tickets are £5 and include refreshments, which will be served at the end of the tour in Ballymoney Town Hall. Numbers are limited to 30 so booking is advisable. Tickets are available from Tourist Information, Ballymoney Town Hall Telephone 028 2766 0230.
Animals’ War Exhibition at Ballymoney Museum
A stunning new photographic exhibition opens next Monday at Ballymoney Museum. Visitors will be able to explore the remarkable achievement of animals in conflict from the First World War to the present day.
The exhibition is being curated by Causeway Museum Service. The images used in the display are from the Imperial War Museum collections in London, and originally featured in their major exhibition of the same title from July 2006 until April 2007.
The exhibition opens on 9th June and will continue until 28th June. Admission is free. For further information please contact cms@coleraine.gov.uk or Tel: 028 70347234
Causeway Museum Service Demonstrates Best Practice in Community Engagement
The work of the Causeway Museum Service has again been highlighted as an example of national best practice in a two day training seminar Engaging Your Community: Putting Words into Practice on 24th – 26th April.
The seminar was organised by the Causeway Museum Service to celebrate the achievements of its Community Outreach Project, a three-year programme supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The project was designed to bring museum skills out into the community and enable local communities to preserve, interpret and communicate their local heritage for themselves. Across the Causeway area, the Museum Service has built awareness of the breadth and diversity of local heritage, encouraged more people to get involved in their heritage, and encouraged groups to support each other through partnerships and networks.
The Causeway Museum Service represents a partnership between Coleraine, Ballymoney, Limavady and Moyle councils, who have all recognised the benefits of the Community Outreach Programme and gave their support to the event. Mayor of Ballymoney Borough Council, John Finlay, said ‘The Causeway Museum Service Community Outreach Programme has helped the council build new audiences and develop the collection as we redevelop the displays at Ballymoney Museum in its new home at the Town Hall.’
The Engaging Your Community Seminar attracted over one hundred delegates from national and local museums across the UK and Ireland. They took part in a number of training workshops and a programme of public tours of community-led projects across the Causeway Area. One delegate said ‘I was really inspired by the enthusiasm and achievements of the community groups. It was also great to visit a new area and see such high quality community work happening away from the major cities.’
The three-year Community Outreach Project comes to an end this summer, but the Causeway Museum Service will continue to work in partnership with local communities on a variety of heritage projects. Community Outreach Officer, Gemma Reid, said ‘Our communities have achieved an incredible amount over the last three years, but we know this has been only the start of the journey. We will continue to support the groups we have been working with, but we are keen to engage with new groups and find out how we can help them preserve and celebrate their heritage’.
If you would like to find out more about the Causeway Museum Service Community Outreach Programme, contact Gemma on (028) 7034 7235 or gemma.reid@colerainebc.gov.uk.
‘Bring Along Your Grandparents’ to Ballymoney Museum
A major new exhibition by Causeway Museum Service ‘Our Lives – the legacy of the Second World War’ opened last week in Ballymoney Town Hall.
The exhibition focuses on what life was like in local area before and during the war and how the war changed the area. When the Second World War ended people looked forward to a much better standard of life and a future where anything was possible. The exhibition looks at how every day things changed like fashion, housing, transport, the lives of women and the social revolution in youth culture and entertainment.
The exhibition will include a Family Fun Day ‘Bring Along Your Grandparents!’ on Saturday 15th March 12.00 noon – 16.00pm. Why not come along and explore and reminisce about what life was like in Ballymoney in the Post War period? The aim of the fun day is to provide an atmosphere that sparks discussion between different generations. The day will also include costumed facilitators and art activities for children.
The exhibition opened to the public on Thursday 28th February, and has already been attracting large numbers of visitors, of all ages.
It includes objects, photographs and archives from the Ballymoney Museum Collection, as well as material from the other Causeway Museum Service Regions – Coleraine, Limavady and Moyle. Visitors have the opportunity view a collection of vintage costumes and to watch video footage of local people recounting their experiences.
Funding for the exhibition and publication was secured from the Big Lottery ‘Their Past Your Future’ programme administered by the Northern Ireland Museums Council.
The Exhibition will be open until 25th March. Opening hours are 9am-5pm, Monday-Saturday and admission is free. For further information please contact Ashleigh Kirkpatrick, Causeway Museum Service Collections Access Officer on 028 70 347213 email: ashleigh.kirkpatrick@colerainebc.gov.uk
Photo caption: Elizabeth Craig (nee Morrison) in her Wedding Dress, 1953. Come and see the fashionable, London-made dress on display at Ballymoney Museum.
Horticultural Association Celebrates 80th Anniversary
This August marks the 80th Anniversary of the North Antrim Horticultural Association’s (NAHA) Flower Show and members are keen to celebrate in style. A commemorative exhibition is planned and Ballymoney Museum is asking for your help to find material relating to the history of the NAHA.
Some enthusiastic members such as Mrs. Elizabeth Leslie (President) and John Patton have collected newspaper clippings. Museum Assistant Shirin Johnston is hoping that members of the public may have photographs or other memorabilia relating to the long –lived flower show. ‘Ballymoney Museum is delighted to have asked to develop this exhibition. We hope to be able to showcase a popular and important aspect of the heritage of Ballymoney. Ballymoney is known for its quality horticultural produce and many local people are dedicated to maintaining this standard. If people would be willing to donate or simply loan us material for a short time, we would be very grateful and it would help make this exhibition special’
In 1920 the Ballymoney Free Press reported that the first annual show was a ‘distinct success’ and that ‘future exhibitions will be popular events’. Happily the prediction came true and the ‘Flower Show’ as it was commonly known has gone from strength to strength.
Early Shows were held in Ballymoney Town Hall before moving to the current venue St. Patrick’s Parish Centre, Queen Street, Ballymoney and they continue to be a great success.
The Shows ceased during the war years and returned in 1947. Gardeners suffered from a period of drought, which hampered their efforts. However by 1949 the Show was back on track, being described as an ‘outstanding event’.
Each year, the venue becomes awash with vibrant colour as wholesome fruit and vegetables, bright flowers, artistic and creative handcrafts and delicious home cooking displayed for all to see (and judge!). Such is the success of the Show that in recent years it has expanded to include over 175 classes.
If you have any relevant material you would like to loan or donate for this exhibition please contact Shirin Johnston at Ballymoney Museum. Tel: 028 27 660 230 or email: shirin.johnston@ballymoney.gov.uk
Picture caption: Flower Show at Ballymoney Town Hall, 1936
Local History Talk at Museum - 'Home Rule'
Local historian Alex Blair’s latest series of talks continues at the Town Hall on Monday 10th March. His fascinating insight into the Nineteenth Century is proving to be as popular as ever. This time, he will be tackling the emotive subject of Home Rule.
As the nineteenth century drew to a close, Home Rule was the ultimate fear for some, though for others it was seen as a natural political development. Certainly there were few Ulster folk who did not have an opinion about it, for it had become the chief issue of the time. Ballymoney and District was a bit different from other places in the Province and these differences will be highlighted in this talk.
The climax of it all came in the early years of the twentieth century, which will also be included.
This is a talk not to be missed for the issues are still vital issues in politics today. Mr. Blair’s talk will give you the details and something of the flavour of those tense times. You will hear so much that is still relevant to recent developments in Northern Ireland and learn how political thought in Ballymoney was changing with the times.
Talk begins at 8pm. Admission is £1 and includes refreshments. For further details contact Ballymoney Town Hall, (028) 2766 0230.
Picture caption: Propaganda cartoon showing Ballymoney under Home Rule. Ballymoney Museum Collection
New Exhibition ‘Our Lives’ comes to Ballymoney Museum
A thought provoking new exhibition by Causeway Museum Service in partnership with Derry Heritage and Museum Service will be displayed in Ballymoney Museum from 28th February. ‘Our Lives - The legacy of the Second World War’ records memories from local people about what life was like in our region from the late 1930s to the1950s.
When the Second World War ended people looked forward to a much better standard of life and a future where anything was possible. The exhibition looks at how every day things changed like fashion, housing, transport, and the social revolution in youth culture and entertainment.
The Exhibition includes objects, photographs and archives from the Ballymoney Museum Collection, as well as material from the other Causeway Museum Service Regions – Coleraine, Limavady and Moyle. Visitors will have the opportunity view a collection of vintage costumes and to watch video footage of local people recounting their experiences.
Funding for the exhibition and publication was secured from the Big Lottery ‘Their Past Your Future’ programme administered by the Northern Ireland Museums Council.
The Exhibition will be open until 25th March. Opening hours are 9am-5pm, Monday-Saturday and admission is free. For further details contact Shirin Johnston, Museum Assistant, Ballymoney Town Hall, 028 2766 0230.
Photo caption: Mary Beverland and Danny Martin dancing at Barry’s Ballroom, July 1950. Donated by Wallace McNaul to Ballymoney Museum.
Local Nineteenth Century Experience History Talks continue at Museum
Local historian Alex Blair’s latest series of talks continues at the Town Hall on Tuesday 19th February. His inspiring series on The Nineteenth Century Experience have been pulling in record audience figures and the next talk ‘ The tenant farmers demand their rights’ will be sure not to disappoint.
The Route Tenants’ Defence Association, centred on Ballymoney, championed the rights of the North Antrim tenant farmers against their landlords. The Ballymoney area holds an important position in the history of the movement across Ireland. Many of the most significant meetings took place in Ballymoney Town Hall and local Presbyterian Minister, the Rev. J. B. Armour was said to have brought ‘a tongue of fire’ to the cause.
This is an inspiring tale and one that is the key to understanding the ownership of land even today. It produced massive change in the countryside and put the Ulster farmer in a very different position from those elsewhere in the United Kingdom. A very special part of our heritage, this talk should be well worth hearing.
Talk begins at 8pm. Admission is £1 and includes refreshments. For further details contact Ballymoney Town Hall, (028) 2766 0230.
Recalling Ballymoney's Past
Ballymoney Museum will be holding two events aimed at recording treasured memories of Ballymoney’s past.
If you have memories of the town that you would like to share, come along to the Town Hall for an evening of nostalgia. Each session will focus on a different area of Ballymoney:
Thursday 31st January - Charlotte Street.
- Known for its fine Georgian architecture, the street was originally named Piper Row. A busy area of the town, which has been the location of several prominent buildings including the Masonic Hall and the Court House.
Thursday 7th February – Rodden Foot
- Prior to demolition in 1958, the terraced cottages and shops in Rodden Foot formed a separate community from the town and enjoyed its own way of life.
Previous Reminiscence Evenings have proved very popular with Ballymoney Folk, and sessions always attract participants eager to share their stories.
The sessions are conducted by professional facilitators John and Noreen Hamiliton, who have the wonderful gift of being able to turn a shy room into one with a relaxed and lively atmosphere.
The last Reminiscence session was held in October 2007, as part of ‘I mind when…Stories from town and country’ Exhibition and Events programme. The topics covered were very diverse, including the various shops and businesses in the area, memories of school days and several entertaining accounts of courting!
Recording oral history testimonies of ‘real people’ has become ever more popular across the UK in recent years. It is important that we share these stories of the past, otherwise they risk being lost forever. Ballymoney Museum and its partners in the Causeway Museum Service (CMS) have been quick to tap into this rich source of historical information. Two DVD’s have been produced in recent years that capture stories of local peoples’ experiences during World War Two: Remembering the War Years - A Ballymoney World War II Archive Resource and WWII Memories - In Their Own Words.
Oral testimonies from local residents also formed a vital part of the CMS Exhibition Our Lives. This insightful exhibition looks at peoples’ experiences in the post-war era. It was displayed in Coleraine Town Hall in December, and will reach Ballymoney Museum in March 2008.
The testimonies gathered from the sessions form part of the Museum’s archive and have the potential to act as an invaluable tool for researching local history.
Both sessions will begin at 7.30 pm in the Town Hall. Admission is free. Refreshments are provided. Contact Ballymoney Town Hall for further details Tel: 028 27 660 230.
‘OUR LIVES’ Exhibition - The legacy of WW2 in the Causeway and Northwest Regions
Causeway Museum Service, of which Ballymoney Museum is a partner, has developed a major new exhibition focusing on the legacy of World War Two and how it affected our region. The exhibition was launched in Coleraine Town Hall in December 2007, and is due to open in Ballymoney Museum in March.
Ballymoney Museum is asking for your help to develop collections relating to the late 1940s and 1950s.
Museum Assistant Shirin Johnston said, ‘While Ballymoney Museum holds many interesting items from the War and Post- War period, it would be an excellent opportunity to expand the collection in this area. It would be wonderful if the public would consider donating or loaning objects and photographs for this exhibition’.
‘Our Lives’ Exhibition has received funding from the Big Lottery ‘Their Past Your Future’ scheme administered in Northern Ireland by the Northern Ireland Museums Council. Causeway Museum Service Collections Access Officer, Ashleigh Kirkpatrick added, “We are delighted that this project has been granted funding through the ‘Their Past Your Future’ programme. Last year Causeway Museum Service was fortunate to receive full funding for several projects across the region. This year we look forward to working in partnership again with our colleagues in Derry Heritage and Museum Service.” The project also includes a series of fun-packed education workshops aimed at Key stage two pupils.
If you have any material relating to Ballymoney or the Causeway Region during the late 1940’s / 1950’s which you would like to donate or loan to Ballymoney Museum please contact Shirin Johnston, Museum Assistant, Ballymoney Museum, Tel: 028 27 660 230, Email shirin.johnston@ballymoney.gov.uk.
Local History Talks continue at Museum
This New Year sees a continuation of local historian Alex Blair’s fascinating talks on The Nineteenth Century Experience. Come along to the Town Hall on Thursday 17th January and find out about an important event from that time.
Alex Blair has now reached the middle years of the nineteenth century in his popular series of talks. On this occasion, he will be looking at how the Church of Ireland was disestablished.
During this time, when people referred to “the Church” they meant the Church of Ireland. It was established by law as the State Church, however all that changed forever in 1869.
Although it was a shattering event for those who were members, a century later the church gave thanks for disestablishment as one of the best things that had ever happened to it. This talk aims to give an insight into why this was so. The reasons for that change and its local effects are also dealt with in this insightful talk.
Admission is £1 and includes refreshments. For further details contact Ballymoney Town Hall, (028) 2766 0230.
Local History Talk at Ballymoney Town Hall
Local Historian Alex Blair’s latest series of talks continues at the Town Hall next Monday night (12th). The new series is titled ‘The Nineteenth Century Experience’ and aims to highlight the many changes that took place in this era. So far Mr. Blair has taken his audience back in time to explore the historical union between Britain and Ireland and he has delighted them with facts and tales from the Ballymoney District at the turn of the century.
The theme of his next talk is Catholic Emancipation. By the nineteenth century, people began to refuse to accept that things should remain as they always had been. Why should Roman Catholics, for example, be denied their political rights?
A lawyer, Daniel O’Connell, became the Champion of the Catholic cause and gained himself a place of honour in Irish history as ‘The Liberator’. The story of his achievements is an inspiring one and will be the main component in this balanced talk. It may surprise many that he was not unknown in North Antrim, especially in the Dervock area!
The talk will take place in the Town Hall at 8pm on Monday 12th November. Admission £1, includes refreshments. For further information please contact Shirin Johnston at Ballymoney Museum 028 27 660 230.
Corfield Evening at Ballymoney Town Hall
Ballymoney Museum will be holding a special event on Tuesday 30th October to celebrate the successful company K. G. Corfield Ltd. The Corfield Company was once one of the leading UK camera manufacturers, and from 1959-1962 they made their products right here in Ballymoney.
The event is aimed at former Corfield employees and interested members of the public, who will have the opportunity to view the museum’s unique collection of Corfield equipment and photographs. The highlight of the evening will be a talk by author John E. Lewis. Mr. Lewis wrote a comprehensive history of the company, entitled, ‘It’s a Corfield, it must be good… The Periflex story’. The book, though out of print, is still much sought after on the World Wide Web. He is currently working on a revised edition, and so he is only too happy to come to Ballymoney to have the chance to meet former staff who worked at Corfield factory on the Ballymena Road. As part of the museum’s on-going project on Corfield, Mr. Lewis also gave an entertaining and informative interview on BBC Radio Ulster last December.
The event will be taking place in the Town Hall at 8pm. Admission is free. Please contact Museum Assistant Shirin Johnston for further information tel: 028 27 660 230. For further information on the story of K.G. Corfield Ltd., please see http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/Museum/CorfieldCameras/corfield.htm#menu .
Ballymoney Museum Gets All The Credit
Ballymoney Museum has successfully completed the necessary requirements to qualify for the UK Museum, Libraries & Archives Council (MLA) Accreditation Scheme. The museum had to demonstrate that it met high standards in the care of the collection, museum management, and the quality of the information and services it offered to its users. With support from the Causeway Museum Service, the necessary information was compiled by museum staff in a series of detailed reports before final submission to the museum’s UK governing body in London.
6,000 annual visitors
The accreditation award comes at a time when the museum is going from strength to strength. With the new venue, additional staff and a popular series of high profile events and exhibitions, the annual visitor figures are expected to reach 6,000 people a year. May 2007 proved a record breaking month, with over 2,000 people through the doors for the North West 200 exhibition.
Museum’s 150th Birthday
Council are also optimistically waiting for notification from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) concerning the major grant application to develop the exhibition gallery and public resource areas. If this HLF application is successful, by late 2008 the Borough will have one of the finest heritage venues in the north of Ireland. This will also be a tremendous boost to the museum’s birthday celebrations as it proudly draws closer to its 150th year (1860 – 2010), an anniversary that few other public museums can claim.
Ballymoney Museum
Ballymoney Town Hall
1 Townhead Street
Ballymoney
Co. Antrim
BT53 6BE
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 28 2766 0245
Email: keith.beattie@ballymoney.gov.uk
The new museum opened in September 2005. In the 18 months since then, over 8,500 people have enjoyed the wonderful collection of local artefacts and the popular programme of temporary exhibitions.
In addition, Ballymoney Borough Council is in the late stages of designing an amazing new exhibition for the museum galleries. Council hope to secure funding of £288,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund for this ambitious project. Once completed, the impressive new exhibition will ensure that Ballymoney Museum becomes one of the 'must see' tourist attractions of the Causeway Coast.
The museum gallery re-development will be completed in late 2008. As a result of this work, the museum may be closed for a brief period during 2008 and visitors are requested to contact the museum to confirm opening hours, Tel: (028) 2766 0230 or museum@ballymoney.gov.uk.
The highly successful Ballymoney Museum Talks Series continues at the alternative venue of the Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre. Please contact the above address for a leaflet or see the link below.