Mayor welcomes New Zealand High Commissioner to Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum

Mayor of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, Alderman Stephen Martin was delighted to welcome His Excellency Mr Bede Corry, High Commissioner for New Zealand to the Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum as part of his first trip to Northern Ireland.

Along with the Lord Lieutenant for County Antrim, Mr David McCorkell and Director of Ballance House, Mr David Twigg, Mr Corry was given a special tour of the Flax to Fabric exhibition and viewed some special artefacts as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee exhibition.

Following the visit to the museum, Mr David Twigg said: “It was a real pleasure for the High Commissioner for New Zealand to have the opportunity to visit the museum here in Lisburn as part of his trip to Northern Ireland. The Flax to Fabric exhibition is wonderful, tracing the history of Irish Linen from the growing of flax to spinning yarn and then to see a demonstration of the production on a 19th century loom was just fascinating.

“I highly recommend a visit to see the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee display which takes us back over 70 years through the reign of Her Majesty the Queen going back to 1952. It was also lovely to see the New Zealand connection through some objects from the Museum’s collections:  sample linen for the New Zealand Navigation Company and a proof cloth for Clemows Hotel, Queenstown, New Zealand.

“I wish to thank the Mayor and the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum for their hospitality and for a truly educational visit.”

Mayor Martin: “I am grateful to the High Commissioner Bede Corry and the First Secretary Kate Swann for accepting my invitation to visit the Irish Linen Centre on their trip to Northern Ireland.  The visit was only possible thanks to the connections made by the Ballance House team over many years.  Today was an important opportunity to strengthen our long standing civic links and also to discuss how we can build economic development opportunities for the future.”