The First Minister has visited Ballymoney Museum where he enjoyed a guided tour of two centenary-themed exhibitions.
Mr Paul Givan was welcomed by the Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council Councillor Richard Holmes.
During his visit he viewed the ‘1919 - 1922 Partition in Ireland: Partition of Ulster’ exhibition and the Famous Sons and Daughters of Causeway Coast and Glens, both of which were curated as part of Council’s NI 100 programme of events to mark 100 years of Northern Ireland.
Speaking afterwards, the Mayor, Councillor Richard Holmes said: “We are grateful to the First Minister for taking the time to visit Ballymoney Museum and for the interest he showed in our exhibitions. We have developed an extensive programme to mark the centenary and are very proud of what has been delivered by our Museums section.
“Exploring the period 1919 -1922, the Partition exhibition features a wealth of material including newspapers, diaries and museums collections which record local experiences national and international events during this time. Alongside this, our Famous Sons and Daughters display brings together 100 individuals from the past 100 years, representing the fields of food, drink and entertainment, great Northern Ireland minds and innovation, heritage and culture, and sport, wellbeing and community development.
“We were delighted to share the story of some of our borough’s most notable individuals with the First Minister during his visit and highlight our place in the story of Northern Ireland over the past century.”
The visit to the Museum also included a look at the children’s project ‘Me to You : Journey of a Postcard which has been shortlisted for a Kids in Museums Award, as well as the Alex Blair collection.
The ‘1919 - 1922 Partition in Ireland: Partition of Ulster’ exhibition is part of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council's £3.8m Local Authority Action Plan, which has been funded by the EU’s PEACE IV Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). Match-funding for this project has been provided by the Executive Office in Northern Ireland and the Department for Rural and Community Development in Ireland.
For more information about Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council’s NI 100 programme go to www.causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk/ni-100.
Ballymoney Museum is open to the public on Wednesday and Thursday from 10am-12.30pm & 1pm-4pm, Friday 10am-12.30pm & 1pm-3pm and Saturday 10am-1pm.
For more information check out its Facebook page or contact cms@causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk.
