NI Centenary Talks Programme 2021 As part of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council's Centenary Programme, marking 100 years since the foundation of Northern Ireland, we are pleased to announce a new series of talks. The programme reflects on a range of Centenary-related themes, including history, sports, industry, the arts and identity, and feature Dr [...]
Winter Talks Programme 2020 feat Pearse Lawlor, Chris Magill, Brian Walker, Cormac Moore, Alan Parkinson and Patricia Marsh We are pleased to announce our Winter 2020/2021 online talks programme, supported by Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council's Good Relations Programme. The talks are free and will take place online via Youtube at 7pm (the previously scheduled [...]
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council’s Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum is now offering both personal and online visitor experiences as it continues to innovate and adapt to the challenges of the Covid 19 pandemic. The doors of the iconic Museum will reopen Thursday 20th August for visitors. At the same time a brand new [...]
The Museum has been awarded the ‘We’re Good to Go’ industry-standard mark, certifying that we are adhering to the respective Government and public health guidance, have carried out a COVID-19 risk assessment and have the required processes in place. For more information, follow this link.
During the current lockdown, Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council has been working hard behind the scenes to deliver services to the community. As our colleagues work to keep communications, IT, waste, admin and community support services going, the museum team has brought some its services online via the Virtual Museum (see: lisburnmuseum.com/virtual-museum). Staff are also [...]
At a special meeting of council tonight (18/03/2020) it has been decided, with cross-party support, that the council will close its facilities to the public with immediate effect. FACILITIES TO CLOSE Lagan Valley Island Bradford Court Lagan Valley LeisurePlex Dundonald International Ice Bowl Lough Moss Leisure Centre Grove, Glenmore and Kilmakee Activity Centres ISLAND Arts [...]
Happy St Patrick's Day To celebrate St Patrick's Day we are featuring a beautiful postcard from the museum's archive (Ref: LMILC:1990:136).
COVID-19 Council Services & Facilities FAQs In light of the current COVID-19 situation, we would like to assure you that Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council prioritises the welfare and safety of our community. We are continuing to deliver our services and open our facilities as normal. We would like to assure our customers that we [...]
The Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum is delighted to be involved with the Suffolk Cross Community Group's project of rediscovering a shared heritage. ‘Rediscovering Linenopolis: West Belfast’s Shared Heritage’ is in partnership with the Half Moon Lake, Grosvenor and the Plough Men’s Sheds together with Springfield Healthy Living Centre. After visiting the award [...]
Christmas and New Year opening times Don’t forget, in the run-up to Christmas Eve, we’re open as usual from 9.30-5pm Monday to Saturday. Christmas Eve 24 Dec -9.30am-3pm Christmas Day 25 Dec - CLOSED Boxing Day 26 Dec - CLOSED New Year’s Eve 31 Dec - 9.30am-5pm New Year’s Day 1 Jan - CLOSED
Exhibition exploring the life of Rev David Corkey, Chaplain to the Ulster Division, is celebrated with presentation to the Museum An artwork dedicated to Rev David Corkey (1882-1984), Minister at Dundrod Presbyterian Church and Chaplain to the 36th (Ulster) Division during WWI (1914-18) was recently presented to the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum. The [...]
Front Cover Castlereagh The life of Conn O’Neill (D.1619), who once owned land stretching from the Ards Peninsula to modern-day Lisburn, is told in a new book by local author Roy Greer. ‘Con O'Neill, Last Gaelic Lord of Upper Clannaboy’ was launched at a special evening event at the Irish Linen Centre & [...]
Are you aged 18-24? Do you have less than six months experience working in a museum setting? As part of the Museum Futures project the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum is offering a year-long placement working on a number of digital projects. As part of the project trainees will receive a tax-free £13,350 bursary, [...]
Welcome to the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum’s 2019 Autumn Events Programme. The Museum presents its sixth annual Autumn Events Programme. Featuring talks, exhibitions, community engagement projects, workshops and film screenings, the programme has something for visitors of all ages. This year we feature: Kate Adie, Donna Gilligan, Eamon Phoenix, Brenda Collins and Ruairí [...]
Moira Demesne Community Archaeology The hot weather in summer 2018 revealed the possible remains of Moira Castle. In March 2019 the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum, funded by Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, partnered with the Centre for Archaeological Fieldwork (CAF) at Queen's University Belfast to conduct a geophysical survey of the site, with [...]
Thursday 11th April 2019 7pm - 9pm The Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum is pleased to present Helen C. Jones, Research Librarian at The Wallace Collection. Helen concludes our programme of events celebrating Sir Richard Wallace's bicentenary with her talk: "The great, the good and the interesting: a snapshot of late Victorian society uncovered [...]
Pictured here beside the monument for Brigadier-General John Nicholson at the recent launch at Lisburn Cathedral are, from left to right, Dean Sam Wright, Ciaran Toal from Lisburn Museum, Alderman Paul Porter, Chair of the Council`s Leisure & Community Development Committee, and one of the authors of the guide Gordon Galloway. [...]
A huge thank you to our visitors for their support - this has been our most successful Autumn Events Programme to date! About the Programme The museum launched its fifth annual events programme in September 2018. The programme marked a number of significant anniversaries, including the end of the Great War and the granting of [...]
Christmas and New Year opening times Don’t forget, in the run-up to Christmas Eve, we’re open as usual from 9.30-5pm Monday to Saturday. Christmas Eve 24 Dec -9.30am-3pm Christmas Day 25 Dec - CLOSED Boxing Day 26 Dec - CLOSED Thursday 27 Dec - 9.30am-5pm Friday 28 Dec - 9.30am-5pm Saturday 29 Dec - 9.30am-5pm [...]
Sir Richard Wallace’s Legacy Recognised with Presentation and Lecture at Lisburn Museum Suzanne Higgott speaking in the Assembly Room, Lisburn Museum Suzanne Higgott, a curator at the Wallace Collection, spoke to a packed house on the life and work of Sir Richard Wallace (1818-90) at the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum on [...]
Meet Santa in his Victorian grotto at the museum! It’s time to get into the Christmas spirit and visit Santa at the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum. Meet Santa in his cosy Victorian grotto and tell him your Christmas wishes. Each child receives a special gift, and you can even take your own [...]
History of the local ‘votes for women’ campaign explored in a talk at the Museum Almost 100 people attended a talk on the history of women’s suffrage in Lisburn and the life of local suffragette Lilian Metge at the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum on Wednesday 21st November 2018. The talk was part of [...]
New performance by Philip Orr marking the end of the Great War in Lisburn The Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum has commissioned a performance by historian and playwright Philip Orr to mark Armistice, the end of the Great War (1914-18). The premiere of the work will take place on 1st December 2018 at [...]
Musical Christmas Cracker at Lisburn Museum Music and Festive Food at the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum The Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum will host a musical Christmas extravaganza on 15th December 2018. The evening will feature festive music from award-winning brass band Dynamic Brass, local author and rising literary star [...]
The recent opening of two new exhibitions in The Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum have been featured on Ulster University "The Shuttle & Shafts exhibition is a result of a two-year project funded by the National Lottery via the Heritage Lottery Fund and led by Senior Research Fellow Trish Belford of Ulster University to [...]
A new exhibition exploring the role of women during and after the Great War (1914-18) has opened at the museum. ‘A voice of her own. A woman’s place after the Great War’ is open to the public Monday to Saturday, 9.30am -5.00pm, entry is free. The display includes the museum’s most recent acquisition, a rare [...]
Mrs Metge The Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum has acquired a rare medal awarded to local suffragette Lillian Metge. The medal was presented to Mrs Metge in recognition of a hunger strike she undertook in August 1914 while on trial for her alleged role in blowing up the east window of Lisburn [...]
The first visit of Sir Richard Wallace (1818-90) to Lisburn in 1873 is marked in a new souvenir edition of Lisburn Yarns published by the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum. The limited edition free newspaper can be picked up in the museum, open Monday to Saturday 9.30-5pm, as part of its hugely popular Sir [...]
On behalf of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum will mark Ireland’s contribution to the Great War by collaborating in a special project with In Flanders Fields Museum, Ypres, Belgium. The museum was specially invited to donate a chair from its collection to sit alongside chairs from 120 other [...]
The Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum presents its fifth annual autumn programme, a diverse range of events marking a number of significant anniversaries. These include the end of the Great War and the granting of ‘votes for women’ in 1918, through to the bicentenary of the birth of Sir Richard Wallace (1818-90), the subject [...]
Flaxie Summer Workshops 2018 Our FREE popular summer workshops will start on Monday 16th July and will run every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (finishing on Wednesday 22nd August). Workshops are one hour long from 10am-11am and 2pm-3pm. Booking is essential, please contact museum reception on 028 9266 3377 or ilc.reception@lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk Workshops will change daily and [...]
Museum Service manager Paul Allison (left) showing Mayor of Lisburn & Castlereagh, Councillor Uel Mackin, and Alderman Paul Porter (right), Chairman of Leisure & Community Development Committee, around the museum’s new Sir Richard Wallace exhibition. The ‘Sir Richard Wallace Exhibition: the life and legacy of a philanthropist, art collector and landlord’, was officially [...]
Sir Richard Wallace Bicentenary FAMILY EVENT Wallace PARK, Lisburn 23 June 2018 • 11AM-2PM Seymour Marquee A cornucopia of crafts, art and artistry! An opportunity to view the work of handcrafters, browse a little and perhaps purchase a unique hand-crafted gift. A chance to support local arts and crafts. Conway Marquee Free drop-in activities [...]
Episode of Britain's Most Historic Town - Victorian Belfast 12th May - Channel 4 On Friday 11th August 2017 the Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum had the pleasure of hosting Professor Alice Roberts and her film crew. Working on a programme relating to Victorian industry, Professor Roberts tried her hand at spinning [...]
Wallace Bicentenary Family Event, Wallace Park, Saturday 23 June 2018 11am-2pm Stall Holder Expression of Interest Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council are celebrating Sir Richard Wallace’s Bicentenary with a family friendly event in the Wallace Park on Saturday 23rd June 2018: 11am – 2pm. Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council welcomes stall holders who are interested [...]
Sir Richard Wallace - Bicentenary 2018 marks the bicentenary of the birth of Sir Richard Wallace (1818-90), the famed philanthropist, art collector, landlord and M.P. for Lisburn. As part of a wider series of events across Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, which includes a Family Fun Day in Wallace Park, the museum is celebrating [...]
The museum is closed Easter Monday 2nd April 2018.
Digital Wallace: 3D Scanning, 3D Printing and AR Project Are you aged 16-25? If so then you’re invited to get hands on with a range of digital tools, including 3D printing, 3D scanning, Augmented Reality (AR) and laser cutting in an exciting new digital heritage project, in conjunction with the Nerve [...]
Museum projects featured in the CRC's new Decades of Centenaries Toolkit Three of the museum's projects are featured in the Community Relation Council’s (CRC) 2017 Updated Decade of Anniversaries Toolkit. This toolkit is a 2017 update of the Decade of Anniversaries Toolkit first published in 2014. Since then, the practice around acknowledging Decade of Centenaries [...]
Decade of Centenaries Community Engagement and Tonagh Ladies’ Book Launch Four years ago the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum was offered the opportunity for some community engagement funding from the Northern Ireland Museums Council. Since then, the museum has welcomed new audiences to its exhibitions, talks and special events, especially those linked to the [...]
The Sir Richard Wallace Exhibition - May 2018 Born in London in 1818, Sir Richard Wallace (d.1890) was the illegitimate son of the 4th Marquees of Hertford, Richard Seymour-Conway (1800-1870), and Agnes Jackson (nee Wallace). Brought up by his grandmother, known as Mie Mie, in Paris, Richard Jackson (as he was known until 1842) served [...]
Christmas 2017 Holiday Opening Hours We are closed in the 25/12/2017, 26/12/2017 and the 01/01/2017. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
‘Nurses from WW1’ a new publication featuring the museum's collections ‘Nurses from WW1’ a new publication featuring the museum's collections has been published by the Royal College of Nursing, Northern Ireland. The book features the story of Nurse Margaret (Hessie) Johnston from Ballinderry, Lisburn. She joined the Queen Alexandra Imperial Military Nursing Service (R) and [...]
Lisburn Suffragette story featured in a new NIMC book about ‘protest’ in Ulster A shard of glass from the window of Lisburn Cathedral, blown up by suffragettes in August 1st 1914 features in a new book from the Northern Ireland Museums Council (NIMC). In the book, titled ‘'Protest: A Collection from Local Museums in Northern [...]
New Reformation Exhibition Opens at the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum The new exhibition entitled ‘Reformation 500: the Reformation in Europe, and its Local Legacy’ was officially opened at the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum by Alderman James Tinsley, Chairman of the Council’s Leisure & Community Development Committee. This free exhibition marks the [...]
Sincere apologies to all our visitors, but due to tropical storm Ophelia the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum is closed today from 1pm. We will re-open at 9.30am on Tuesday 17th October 2017.
The Follies Trust Lecture in Lisburn Museum Thursday 26th October 2017 7.30pm ‘In praise of Follies’ An appreciation of Irish Follies By Dr Edward McParland Fellow and Pro-Chancellor of Trinity College Dublin Don’t miss this opportunity to hear Ireland’s leading architectural historian, noted author and brilliant lecturer in an event organised by the Follies Trust [...]
Free Autumn Talks Programme 2017 Including: Michael Jackson, Philip Orr, Dr Henry Jeffries, Prof Johnston McMaster, Rev Dr Martyn Cowan and Piet Chielens. Autumn Talks Programme 2017: Tuesday 3 October - Saturday 28 October The Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum presents its fourth series of autumn talks, which is designed to complement our exhibition [...]
Lisburn Historical Society Talks Programme 2017/2018 Lisburn Historical Society was founded in 1967 for charitable purposes, in particular to promote the advancement of education by the study of local history in the Lisburn area. The Society is a voluntary organisation, and meetings are held in Lisburn Museum at 19.30 on the first Wednesday of each [...]
Peace IV Progamme Launch 14th September 2017 - Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council LISBURN & CASTLEREAGH COMMUNITIES INVITED TO BENEFIT FROM £2.3 MILLION EUROPEAN PEACE IV FUNDING. The Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Peace IV Partnership is delighted to invite communities, groups and individuals from the Lisburn Castlereagh area to register for the launch event [...]
Lisburn and the First World War, the Complete Story - Exhibition 'Lisburn and the First World War, the Complete Story' is a major exhibition in four parts, examining Lisburn and district from the outbreak of the Home Rule Crisis in 1912, through WWI (1914-18), to the post-war period, when Northern Ireland emerged as a new [...]
July holiday opening hours 2017 The museum is closed July 12th and 13th 2017, re-opening on July 14th at 9.30am. Further information on all council facilities can be found here.
‘Lisburn 1918-23’ exhibition opens at the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum A major new exhibition detailing the events in Lisburn from Armistice (1918) to the unveiling of the town’s war memorial in 1923 opened at the museum on June 26th 2017. The display includes rare and unusual material relating to the August 1920 ‘Swanzy [...]
Flaxie Summer Workshops 2017 Our popular summer workshops start on Monday 17th July 2017! They run every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday until 16th August. Morning sessions start at 11am-12.30 and afternoon session 2pm-3.30pm. All ages are welcome but please note places must be booked in advance, contact museum reception to book your place: 028 9266 [...]
BBC Ulster's Songs of Ulster - The Wee Weaver, a collaboration In June 2017 BBC Ulster's 'Songs of Ulster', with presenter Marty Cullen, travelled to the glens of Antrim to hear emerging traditional singers chant the songs of their locality, including 'The Wee Weaver' by Meabh Meir which was recorded here in Irish Linen Centre [...]
‘Lisburn 1918-23, Community Conflict and Commemoration after the Great War’ Exhibition ‘Lisburn 1918-23, Community Conflict and Commemoration after the Great War’ is a new exhibition detailing the events in Lisburn from the immediate aftermath of the Great War (1914-18) to the 1920 ‘Swanzy Riots’, through to the unveiling of the town’s war memorial in 1923. [...]
The world of fashion is brought to your fingertips in a new virtual exhibition by Google and the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum 3000 years of the world’s fashion is brought together in the largest virtual exhibition of style. The “We wear culture” project by Google Arts & Culture is a collaboration with the [...]
New website commemorating Lisburn and District’s First World War Dead In marking the ongoing centenary of the Great War (1914-18) the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum, in conjunction with local researcher Pat Geary, have launched a free dedicated website (www.Lisburn-and-the-great-war.com) detailing the men from Lisburn and the wider district (from Aghalee to Dunmurry, Hillsborough [...]
*Guest Post* The Lisburn Temperance Institute, Railway Street This post was written by Faoiltiarna, a visting Sixth Form student. On the 21st of February 1887, the Lisburn Temperance Union was formed. This Union was Chaired by Sir J.N. Richardson who was both a Quaker and a well-known Linen manufacturer. The Lisburn Temperance Union was set up with three main [...]
Lisburn - Reporting the 1917 Russian Revolution During the First World War, The Lisburn Standard was issued every Friday evening. Every issue contained notices, advertisements for everything from flax seed to dentistry, extracts of 'Records from Old Lisburn', a chapter or two from their latest story, and, most importantly, a section on the news of [...]
Playful Museums is a Northern Ireland Museum's Council initiative designed to develop programmes aimed at under-fives and helping to make museums fun and educational for all. In February the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum is running a FREE Playful Museums Festival + Family Fun Day. Playful Museums Festival From Monday 20th February to Friday [...]
Exhibition: Dennis H Osborne Artist - An Appreciation The Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum’s new exhibition: Dennis H Osborne (1919-2016) Artist: An Appreciation features over 30 paintings and sketches from both the museum’s extensive Osborne collection, and a number of generous private donors and collections. A resident of Lisburn for over 20 years, Osborne [...]
Thr Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum is closed on the following days during Christmas and New Years 2016/17: Christmas Day - closed Boxing Day - Closed Tuesday 27th - Closed Monday 2nd January - Closed Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year to all our visitors.
Lisnagarvey Hockey Club and the First World War In preparing for the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum’s major exhibition ‘The Somme, Our Story’ (opened July 2016), the museum has been conducting research into the men who played for, or had close connections to, Lisnagarvey Hockey Club and the First World War (1914-18). To date, [...]
A Brief History of Lisburn's Wallace Park Note: this post was written by Ethan, a year 12 student, who spent a week's work placement in the museum in September 2016. Based on heritage panels the museum wrote and erected in Wallace Park, Ethan did a wonderful job summarising the history of the park. The 26-acre [...]
One hundred years ago this month, the inhabitants of Lisburn hosted a civic reception to honour local-man Nelson Russell (1897-1971), the winner of the town’s first M.C.. Russell, who grew up in Clonevin Park and attended Friends’ School, was awarded the honour for leading a ‘daring’ daylight raid on German trenches in April 1916 while [...]
'The Great Flying Challenge' BBC One Northern Ireland's new show, 'The Great Flying Challenge', follows Dick Strawbridge as he attempts to re-create local man Harry Ferguson's monoplane. The Ferguson monoplane was the first Irish heavier-than-air craft to fly. The monoplane was designed by Harry, and built in Belfast. He made his first flight in December 1909. The [...]
Lisburn’s Lost on the Lusitania: the case of Christopher Evans McConkey A guest by local researcher Pat Geary, author of the Friends' School Lisburn WWI database. Born in Hillsbrough, Co. Down on the 7 August 1853 Christopher Evans McConkey was the son of John and Bessie and grandson of Edward and Elizabeth McConkey. The family, [...]
2016 Autumn Talks Programme featuring Eamon Phoenix, Donal McAnallen, Lar Joye, Jason Burke, Tom Hartley, Marja Almqvist, Fearghal McGarry and Pat Geary, Sept-Oct All talks are FREE. To book, or for more information, visit www.lisburnmuseum.com email: ilc.reception@lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk or tel: 02892663377. Note: Jason Burke is unable to attend, and Philip Orr will now facilitate [...]
Lisnagarvey Hockey, the Olympic Games, and Lisburn's first Olympian? In August 2016 the Olympics Games will take place in Rio, Brazil, and for the first time in 108 years the Irish Hockey Team will contest the finals (although men from Northern Ireland will compete with both Ireland and Great Britain hockey teams). In the same year that [...]
Summer Archaeology Dig 2016 at Hillsborough Castle This summer we need your help to discover what’s underneath the gardens and add to Hillsborough Castle’s collections, stories and history. With expert archaeologists on hand to lead the dig, we need you to be part of the team and unearth the hidden secrets. Old maps suggest [...]
'THE SOMME, OUR STORY' EXHIBITION, July 2016 *Official Press Release* Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council has opened a new public exhibition ‘The Somme, Our Story’ in the Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum to mark the Centenary of the Battle of the Somme. The Mayor, Councillor Brian Bloomfield MBE, the Mayoress, Rosalind Bloomfield and Councillor [...]
The Somme, Our Story, 1916 To mark the Centenary of the first day of the Battle of the Somme, the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum presents its new major exhibition: The Somme, Our Story, 1916. Packed with letters, photographs, original artefacts, documents and archival footage, the exhibition offers up a social history of the [...]
The Tricolour That Flew Over the GPO: the Story of Sgt Davis (Lisburn) 1916 With the surrender of the Easter Rising rebels on Friday April 28th 1916, and the re-capture of the GPO, a party of local soldiers, who had helped quell the Rising, returned home. Given a ‘great reception’ at Lisburn Railway Station, the [...]
Queen Elizabeth II's 90th Birthday Exhibition Our new exhibition - titled: Queen Elizabeth II's 90th Birthday Exhibition - will open in the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum on Monday 25 April, and will look back at the Queen’s 90 years. This will include displays of royal memorabilia, images and literature relating to royal visits to Lisburn [...]
Circuit of Ireland Rally Winners 2016 receive Irish Linen There was Lisburn Linen For the Circuit of Ireland Rally Winners 2016! Following the successful launch of this year's Circuit of Ireland Rally in Lisburn, the Mayor of Lisburn & Castlereagh, Councillor Thomas Beckett presented Craig Breen from Waterford and his co-driver Scott Martin - winners [...]
Lisburn and the Circuit of Ireland *For event details on Lisburn and the Circuit of Ireland 2016 see the bottom of this post. Beginning in 1931 the Circuit of Ireland, first known as the Ulster Motor Rally, became the Circuit of Ireland Trial in 1936, and finally the Circuit of Ireland Rally in 1956. At its [...]
Lisnagarvey Transmitting Station 80 Year Anniversary This year we are celebrating the Lisnagarvey Transmitting Station 80 Year Anniversary. Located in the civil parish of Blaris , the tower is actually situated in the townland of Magherageery, and not Lisnagarvey. The townland of Lisnagarvey, which Lisburn derives its name from, is actually in the centre of Lisburn city. [...]
Happy St Patrick's Day 2016 from the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum
'Thundery Showers, County Down' by Terence Philip Flanagan As featured on ArtUk's website, 'Thundery Showers, County Down' by Terence Philip Flanagan (1929–2011) is held in the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum's collection. Painted in 1965, this oil on canvas was gifted to the museum on 1996. T. P. Flanagan T. P. Flanagan is considered [...]
Mrs Metge and the Lisburn Bomb A fragment of glass from Mrs Metge's bomb at Lisburn Cathedral has recently gone on display in the museum's 'Lisburn, 1912-1915' exhibition. The fragile piece of glass is on loan from Lisburn Cathedral.
Rising Voices: Lisburn at Easter 1916 New Exhibition On March 24th 2016 the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum opened 'Rising Voices: Lisburn at Easter 1916', a new exhibition exploring the Easter Rising and Lisburn, through the story of individuals associated with the town. When the Rising broke out in April 1916 Lisburn, like many towns in Ulster, [...]
Temporary Museum Closure: March 7th-11th 2016 Due to essential maintenance, the museum will be closed from March 7th to March 11th inclusive. We apologise for any inconvenience. Staff can be still be contacted here. Next week On Tuesday 8th March you can enjoy live spinning and weaving demonstration and discuss the history of Ireland’s most important industry at [...]
Irish Linen History at the Ulster Scots Centre This spring 2016 explore the history of Irish Linen at the Ulster Scots Centre. As part of a series of lunchtime talks and demonstrations staff will be on hand on Tuesday 8th March to discuss the history of Ireland's most important industry. The talk is part of [...]
In the Beginning, Flax... Linen is woven from flax (Linum usitatissimum), which comes from the Linacea family, and is one of the oldest textiles in the world. Records show the use of flax as a textile in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) during the Neolithic period (from 10,000 B.C. to 4000BC or so), and flax (seeds) and [...]
Guest Post: this post was written by Alison, a 6th year student from Wallace High who spent some time in the museum in January 2016 on work experience. The original castle of Sir Fulke Conway began construction in 1622 and was in the style of a manor house. During the 1660s and 1670s further work [...]
The cenotaph, Market Square. Following King George V's proclamation, all parts of the empire marked the first anniversary of the signing of the Armistice. In Lisburn, many gathered at the temporary cenotaph in Market Square, where a short service was held, while others attended services in many of Lisburn's churches. At 11am, a [...]
On Tuesday 27th October 2015 noted author and journalist Kevin Myers delivered a talk titled 'Ireland and the Great War' to a packed Assembly Room. Kevin is well known for his role in illuminating - and returning to the public's consciousness - the role Ireland and Irishmen played in the great war of 1914-198, and [...]
Commemorating Men from Lisburn and District who fought and died at Gallipoli In October 2015 the museum's curator, Brian Mackey, attended a wreath-laying service at Green Hill Cemetery, Turkey, to commemorate men from Lisburn and district who fought and died fighting with the 10th and 29th Divisions, as well as Australian and New Zealand forces, [...]
Researching Damask Our Curator, Brian Mackey, with Linda Eaton, John L. & Marjorie P. McGraw Director of Collections & Senior Curator of Textiles at Winterthur Museum, Delaware, who visited the museum recently. Linda is researching linen damask made for the American market, and had the opportunity to explore the museum's internationally-significant damask collection. Brian Mackey, [...]
On 2nd October 2015 the museum launched its latest exhibition, 'Tale of the Threads' by the Loose Thread Quilters. Loose Thread Quilters is a small group of active quilt makers drawn from all over Northern Ireland. For over 20 years the group has promoted the practice and art of patchwork, appliqué and quilting to traditional [...]
A former teacher at Hilden Primary School, Ms Hanthorne, is collecting material (stories, images, text, reminiscences or other ephemera) relating to the school for a new book. If you have any of this material, or you are interested in getting involved, then please contact us here, and we'll forward your details on.
Autumn Events Programme 2015 Please browse our Autumn Events Programme (2015) or download it here.
New Book: The Chemistry of Textile Fibres A new publication on the Chemistry of Textile Fibres featuring material from the museum's collections has been published. This is the 2nd edition of Mather and Wardman's seminal text, revised and updated. The publisher's blurb: Textiles are ubiquitous materials that many of us take for granted in our [...]
Lisburn Museum’s FREE summer workshops start on Saturday 1st August 2015. They will run Monday – Saturday (until 29th August) morning session 10am – 12pm and afternoon session 2.30 – 4.30pm. For those who prefer to be a guaranteed place, pre-booking is available this year. Drop-in visitors are also welcome but not advisable for large [...]
A new guide to the stained-glass windows of Christ Church Cathedral, Lisburn, was recently launched by the Rector, the Rev Canon Sam Wright and the Curator of the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum, Brian Mackey. The guide, a collaboration between the cathedral and the museum, tells the rich history of the windows, including the [...]
Today Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Mayor Councillor Thomas Beckett, along with the Chairman of the Leisure Services Committee Alderman Paul Porter opened the museum's latest exhibition: The Boyne, marking the 325th anniversary of the battle. See some of the photos below. The exhibition marks the 325th anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne, fought [...]
The Boyne: 325 Year Anniversary This summer the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum is marking the 325th anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne with a new exhibition including highlights from its collection. Through objects, text, maps and pictures the display tells the story of William III’s victory over James II on the banks [...]
22nd May – 19th June Four groups have been participating in a community engagement project since February 2015. Three of these are youth groups from Colin, Old Warren and Hillhall and a fourth is a womens’ group from Tonagh. The aim of the project was to get participant views on two areas: museums and [...]
Private Alec Martin's niece telling the story of her uncle, born in Magheragall, who died on April 25th at Gallipoli: MY Anzac story is about my uncle Private Alexander Martin. He was not a local, he never even saw the Manning Valley as far as I know. Source: My Anzac Story: Private Alexander Martin | [...]
