Museum Locations
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Andrew Jackson and US Rangers Centre
Antrim
The Andrew Jackson Cottage highlights Carrickfergus' strong American and Ulster-Scots connections as well as telling the story of Andrew Jackson, the 7th president of the USA, whose parents emigrated to America from Carrickfergus in 1765. Located less than a mile from the town centre off the Larne Road, this single storey building has been restored to its original state. The interior has been decorated with a dresser, sponge wear crockery, iron pots and griddles. The cottage also has a collection of Ulster patchwork quilts.
More information about Andrew Jackson and US Rangers Centre »
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Ardress House
Armagh
This charming 17th-century farmhouse, elegantly remodelled in Georgian times, offers fun and relaxation for all the family. Set in 100 acres of countryside, there are apple orchards and charming woodland walks. The atmosphere of a working farmyard has been rekindled with the return of small animals.
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Armagh County Museum
Armagh
The oldest county museum in Ireland is set in Armagh's beautiful Georgian tree lined Mall. Its collections capture centuries of stories relating to the people who lived, worked and had connections with this famous city and historic county.
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Armagh Robinson Library
Armagh
Armagh Robinson Library, the oldest library in Northern Ireland, was founded in 1771 by Archbishop Richard Robinson as part of his plans to establish a university and to improve the city of Armagh. Built to the design of Thomas Cooley, the building has housed both the Library and the Library Keeper's residence from the start. Over the public entrance an inscription in Greek reads "the healing place of the soul".
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Ballycastle Museum
Antrim
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. Much of this material was displayed in the Irish Pavilion at the St Louis World Fair in 1904 through F. J . Bigger and R. J Welch.
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Ballymoney Museum
Antrim
This popular museum attracts thousands of visitors each year from across the world. The permanent exhibition contains remarkable and unique artefacts associated with the colourful history of this region.
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Barn Museum
Armagh
This museum houses the agricultural and social history collections of Craigavon Museum. There are displays on domestic life in rural areas, blacksmithing, haymaking and local industries. The collections on display include the tools of a local blacksmith as well as items illustrating the area's links with the linen industry, apple growing and rose growing.
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Carrickfergus Museum
Antrim
Carrickfergus is the most archaeologically explored town in Northern Ireland. 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. These collections are displayed and interpreted using a range of media, including audio-visual presentations and hands-on interactives.
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Castle Ward
Down
Castle Ward will take you on a journey of discovery. The 18th-century eccentric house with two distinctly different styles, classical and Gothic, will entice you to explore further. This truly beautiful 332-hectare (820-acre) walled demesne with walking trails, exotic garden, stunning vistas and picturesque farmyard, will unlock your imagination through family history, leisure pursuits, events and industrial heritage.
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Coleraine Museum
Derry/Londonderry
The Coleraine Collection stems from the town's remarkable history. Coleraine is a town of several firsts - the first known settlement in Ireland at Mountsandel and the first 'planted' town in Ulster. The town produced 'Colerains' linen, the finest of Irish Linen and Coleraine whiskey - the brand of choice for the House of Commons. World famous illustrator, Hugh Thomson, artist A. D. McCormick and folklore expert, Sam Henry were all born in Coleraine. Objects within the collection reflect all of this and much more.
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Craigavon Museum
Armagh
The Lough Neagh Discovery Centre, Oxford Island houses a local history reference library which has a collection of books, journals, maps and photographs relating to the local area. The library also holds a collection of books from the Ulster Quarterly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends and a collection relating to Methodist history in Ireland.
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Down County Museum
Down
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, 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.
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Downpatrick & County Down Railway
Down
The Downpatrick and County Down Railway runs through the drumlin countryside of County Down - St. Patrick's Country - over the River Quoile and under the graceful Down Cathedral. With a mix of steam and diesel trains, and vintage carriages, there's plenty for train fans of all ages - from wee kids to "big kids". A working railway museum, where the exhibits are operated and worked to show the context in which they were used.
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F.E. McWilliam Gallery & Studio
Down
Opened in September 2008, the F.E. McWilliam Gallery & Studio celebrates the work of the sculptor, Frederick Edward McWilliam, who was born in Newry Street, Banbridge on 30 April 1909. A contemporary and friend of Henry Moore, McWilliam made his name in London and established a reputation as one of the most important sculptors of his generation.
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Fermanagh County Museum
Fermanagh
Fermanagh County Museum is a registered museum, under the MLA Accreditation Scheme for museums. The museum is located within and around the historic Enniskillen Castle and was established in 1976 by Fermanagh District Council. The museum collections reflect Fermanagh's history, culture and environment.
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Flame: The Gasworks Museum
Antrim
Flame gasworks is Ireland's sole surviving coal gasworks and is one of only three left in the British Isles. Opened in 1855, it supplied Carrickfergus with gas until 1965 and was closed in 1987. It is now fully restored and was reopened as a visitor and educational attraction in August 2002.
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Florence Court
Fermanagh
There is something for all the family at this warm and welcoming 18th-century property, the former home of the Earls of Enniskillen. The house enjoys a peaceful setting in west Fermanagh, with a dramatic backdrop of mountains and forests. There are glorious walks to enjoy, as well as fine vistas and play areas. There is even a charming walled garden.
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Garvagh Museum
Derry/Londonderry
Garvagh Museum is a rural Folk Museum in the Bann Valley.
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Hezlett House
Derry/Londonderry
Hezlett House may be small but it is bursting with history, stories and tales. Dressed for the late Victorian period typical for this Irish farmstead visitors can immerse themselves in that time and get hands on with many of the items experiencing life on the farm. The beautiful grounds have been lovingly restored including a small working fruit orchard and kitchen garden.
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Inniskillings Museum
Fermanagh
The Inniskillings Museum is situated in the 15th Century Keep and 18th century Military outbuildings of Enniskillen Castle. The Museum tells the story of the town of Enniskillen's two regiments - the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards and the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. The town of Enniskillen is the only town in the British Isles which had two regiments in the British Army.
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Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum
Antrim
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.
More information about Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum »
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Limavady Museum
Derry/Londonderry
Limavady Museum's collections reflect both the local and social history of Limavady as well as the rural and industrial heritage of the Roe Valley. The collections can be viewed at two locations in Limavady Borough - the Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre/Ionad EalaÃÂÂon agus Cultúir Ghleann na Ró in Limavady town and Green Lane Museum, located in the beautiful surroundings of Roe Valley Country Park.
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Linen Hall Library
Greater Belfast
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 has a radical and 'enlightenment' foundation, and ever since has prized its independence and has maintained the principle that its resources are owned by the community for the community.
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Mid-Antrim Museum
Antrim
Immerse yourself in the fascinating and surprising history of mid-Antrim. As soon as you enter the Museum's fourteen metre high atrium, you'll begin to see mid-Antrim in a whole new light! The entrance contains special installations designed to open your eyes to the links between people and place, local history and local identity.
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Milford House Collection
Armagh
Milford House Collection is located at 3 Victoria Street. Housing an old master paintings, beautiful furnishing and family possessions. Discover the extraordinary world of Milford House and the people who lived there. Across the street is the William Mc Crum Park where the penalty kick was invented.
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Mount Stewart
Down
The exotic luxuriance of Mount Stewart's celebrated gardens, created in the 1920's by Edith, Lady Londonderry has helped make it one of Northern Ireland's most popular Trust's properties with all the family. Nominated as a world heritage site, the impressive landscape garden makes the most of the unique microclimate of the Ards peninsula and boasts magnificent views across Strangford Lough from the romantically idyllic Temple of the Winds. The 3 year project to restore Mount Stewart house has now been completed. We've brought back the elegance and charm of the house when it was home of the 7th Marchioness Edith, Lady Londonderry and her family in the early 20th century. The house will re-open to the public from 20 April 2015 and we're looking forward to showing off new features including the new Londonderry loan and silver collection display.
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Museum at the Mill
Antrim
Museum at The Mill invites visitors of all ages to explore the history and heritage of Mossley Mill. Housed within what was originally the wet spinning floor of the mill, the museum tells the story of Mossley Mill and the people who worked there from the 1800s to the mill's closure in 1996. The museum also features the development of the mill in recent years as a civic and cultural centre and important site for natural heritage. Many features, such as the mill pond, have been preserved and enhanced to support the area's biodiversity. The pond is one of three that used to supply the mill with water. This important wetland habitat is now an urban pond™ filled with freshwater wildlife. Through a range of colourful displays including artefacts, images and archival film, you can explore both the past and present of this unique historical site. The museum conveys a real sense of the people who worked in the mill and their stories and histories.
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Newry and Mourne Museum
Down
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 Museum is located at Bagenal's Castle an early example of a defended residence. The castle was built in the 16th century in the environs of the site of a 12th century Cistercian abbey. Due to constant adaptation over the centuries, the building's exact location was concealed especially when purchased by Arthur McCann Ltd in 1894 and converted into a bakery.
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North Down Museum
Down
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. Key artefacts on display include the Bronze Age Ballycroghan Swords, the Bangor Bell from the important Bangor Abbey settlement and the Raven Maps, the only complete folio of Plantation era maps in Ireland.
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Northern Ireland War Memorial
Greater Belfast
Situated in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter beside St. Anne's Cathedral, the Northern Ireland War Memorial is an accredited museum which is a must see for anyone with an interest in Northern Ireland's role in the Second World War. The museum tells the story of the Belfast Blitz in 1941, the Ulster Home Guard, the role played by women in the war and the presence of US Forces. The fallen are remembered in a magnificent stained-glass window and a granite plinth containing Books of Remembrance for the First and Second World War. A memorial screen recalls the names of over 1000 people who lost their lives in the Belfast Blitz. The museum offers a range of family events, as well as workshops and talks for primary schools and community groups. Visit www.niwarmemorial.org for more information or follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest
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Police Museum
Antrim
The police museum was set up in the 1980's to explain and illustrate Northern Ireland's unique and often contentious policing history. Our collection includes police uniforms, equipment, medals and archives from the early 1800's to the present day and also weapons used against the police over the years.
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Royal Irish Fusiliers Museum
Armagh
The museum is housed in a grade B+ Sovereign's House. The Eagle Takers Gallery won the Best Exhibition in Ireland in 2003. The collection contains the uniforms, medals, regalia and the two Victoria Crosses won by the Regiment. The Regimental archive and library may be viewed by appointment.
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Royal Ulster Rifles Museum
Greater Belfast
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.
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Sentry Hill
Antrim
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.
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Somme Museum
Down
The Somme Museum 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. Since 2000 the Museum's remit has expanded into World War Two and other modern international conflicts. The Museum has increasingly focused upon the community relations potential of this shared history as a vehicle to further cross-community and cross-border contact, mutual understanding and reconciliation.
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Springhill
Derry/Londonderry
Experience the beguiling spirit of this inimitable 17th-century 'Plantation' home, with its walled gardens and parkland, full of tempting waymarked paths. There are ten generations of Lenox-Conyngham family tales to enthrall you, as well as numerous portraits and much furniture to admire and not forgetting Ireland's most-documented ghost: Olivia. The old laundry houses the celebrated Costume Collection, which features some fine 18th to 20th-century pieces that highlight its great charm and enthralling past.
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The Argory
Armagh
Built in the 1820s, this handsome Irish gentry house is surrounded by its 320-acre wooded riverside estate. The former home of the MacGeough Bond family, a tour of this Neo-classical masterpiece reveals it is unchanged since 1900. The eclectic interior still evoking the family's tastes and interests.
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Tower Museum
Derry/Londonderry
The award winning Tower Museum is located within the city's walls at Union Hall Place .The Museum has two main exhibitions ("Story of Derry" and "La Trinidad Valancera- An Armada Shipwreck ") and hosts a wide program programme of touring exhibitions and events throughout the year.
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Ulster American Folk Park
Tyrone
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.
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Ulster Folk & Transport Museum
Down
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.
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Ulster Museum
Greater Belfast
Come face to face with dinosaurs, meet an Egyptian Mummy and see modern masterpieces with a visit to the Ulster Museum!
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Whitehead Railway Museum
Antrim
Whitehead Railway Museum, which was officially opened in 2017, combines the past with the present. You can get up close to some of the magnificent steam locomotives in the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland collection and get a chance to step aboard the footplate of an 1879-built steam engine.
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