Upcoming Events Organised By Newry And Mourne Museum

In connection with its First World War Project Newry and Mourne Museum has organised an exciting programme of events and activities for June 2015.

On Thursday 4 June there will be a day trip to the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) in Belfast and the Ulster Folk Museum at Cultra. The bus will depart from Newry and Mourne Museum, Bagenal’s Castle, Castle Street, Newry at 10 am and return at 5 pm.

At PRONI, there will be an opportunity to obtain information on the records that it holds. Attendees will also be able to view letters written by Lord Newry while he was on active service during the First World War; papers about the sinking of Kilkeel fishing vessels by a German submarine in 1918; letters and documents giving an insight into the personal impact of the war on a Warrenpoint lady whose husband, a German citizen, was interned; the initial minutes of the Newry Branch of the British Legion;  and documents from the Department of Home Affairs relating to the prohibition of the erection, by the Newry Branch of the Northern Old I.R.A. Remembrance Association, of an Irish Patriot Memorial in Newry in 1938.

After time for lunch at PRONI, the group will travel to the Ulster Folk Museum at Cultra to get an insight into life in Ireland 100 years ago and the impact of the war on those who remained at home. The guided tour will tell the story of what everyday life was like for the people of Ulster during the war and the many significant changes it caused, some of which resonate today. The cost for the day trip is £10 (or £7.50 for concessions).

Then on Wednesday 17 June, beginning at 7:30 pm, Newry and Mourne Museum will host a lecture on “Motorcars and Transport in Ulster, 1896-1918”, given by Leanne Blaney from University College, Dublin. There is no charge to attend the talk but booking is essential.

Leanne’s talk will cover changes in transport at the turn of the twentieth century and the role of motorcars, for instance, in the 1914 gun-runnings, when the Ulster Volunteers and Irish Volunteers covertly armed themselves with weapons brought in from Germany. The lecture will also tie in with Newry and Mourne Museum’s new temporary exhibition, “The World has Become Smaller: Transport Through the Ages in Newry and Mourne” which will open on 29 May.

At the end of June the Museum will host two family history workshops.

On Monday 22 June (2pm – 4:30pm) leading Irish genealogist, John Grenham, author of Tracing Your Irish Ancestry, will speak about “Irish Genealogy: The Major Online and Offline Sources”.

Then on Monday 29 June (2pm – 4:30pm) Professor Richard Grayson (Professor of Twentieth-century History at Goldsmiths, University of London, and author of Belfast Boys: How Unionists and Nationalists Fought and Died Together in the First World War) will speak about “Researching First World War Ancestors”. There is no charge to attend either genealogy workshop, but pre-booking is required. Light refreshments will be provided.

To get further information or to book a place at one or more of the events please email Dr Robert Whan: robert.whan@newryandmourne.gov.uk or Telephone: 028 3031 3173 / 028 3031 3182.