Down County Museum is offering free guided tours of its special, temporary exhibition, Ballynahinch: The Island Town, to groups from Ballynahinch in August 2014.
The exhibition which opened last year has attracted thousands of visitors from across the county and beyond and this new initiative is designed to ensure that as many groups as possible from Ballynahinch can access the displays.
As well as these free tours which are available to groups on Thursday 7 August, Thursday 14 August and Thursday 21 August, the Museum is also providing free buses from Ballynahinch to Down County Museum. Groups can also avail of a guided tour of the Museum and old gaol and a cup of tea in the cell block.
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Ballynahinch, an historic market town.[/caption]
For more than three centuries, Ballynahinch has been an important market town. Its location in the middle of County Down has made it a point on many people’s journeys to and from a range of places in the local area and beyond.
The name Ballynahinch derives from the Irish Baile na hInse – the town of the island. A likely explanation for this name is that Ballynahinch was once on a patch of drier land amongst surrounding wetter land. The town was established in the mid-17th century by Sir George Rawdon, who purchased the area from Patrick McCartan. Sir George’s descendants, the Earls of Moira, continued to develop Ballynahinch in the 18th century. Today, Ballynahinch continues to be a thriving and bustling market town with much to offer local residents and visitors.
Numerous community, cultural, youth and church groups from Ballynahinch were involved in creating the exhibition which examines the diversity and shared heritage of the town. The exhibition includes information on the foundation of the town, its development in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, its role in the 1798 rebellion, the impact of war and conflict on the town as well as sections on its buildings, schools, churches, farming, and sport and social life. A number of local people were interviewed to provide reminiscences of the town in the recent past and their memories and stories have been used in the exhibition. Objects on display in the exhibition include objects from local businesses and a fascinating range of photographs, including some donated or loaned by local people as well as many from the Museum’s collection.
Any groups wishing to find out more or book these tours should contact Shirley Lennon or Linda McKenna at the museum on 028 4461 5218 or email Shirley.lennon@downdc.gov.uk or linda.mckenna@downdc.gov.uk
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