Museum Publications
Irish Historic Towns Atlas: Derry City Council
The Irish Historic Towns Atlas project was established in 1981. The aim of the project is to record the topographical development of a selection of Irish towns both large and small. Each town is published separately as a facsimile or folder and includes a series of maps complemented by a detailed text section. The Irish Historic Towns Atlas is part of a wider European scheme, with town atlases containing broadly similar information available for a number of countries. Thus Irish towns can be studied in their European context. The Royal Irish Academy, Dublin coordinates the publication and research. The Irish Historic Towns Atlas, Derry/Londonderry was published and launched in the Guildhall in December 2005, alongside W.S Ferguson’s catalogue of maps, plans and elevations of the city.
For further information contact: bernadette.walsh@derrycity.gov.uk
Tel: 028 7137 7331
World War II Digitisation Project
To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the ending of World War II a range of events and resources were planned as part of the Their Past Your Future programme in 2005. As part of this a selection of World War II artefacts and archives from the Museum WWII Collection have been digitised and are available to view on the Derry City Council web site. www.derrycity.gov.uk/ww2
World War II Memories – DVD
The Heritage & Museum Service of Derry City Council and the Causeway Museum Service produced a DVD containing a selection of personal testimonies from people who lived through the war. Participants from Coleraine, Limavady, Ballymoney and Derry included members of the Armed Forces, and civilians with stories from the Home Front on rationing, blackouts and the excitement surrounding the time with the arrival of so many different nationalities to these shores. The DVD is available for schools, libraries and local groups, from the Harbour Museum.
Legacy of World War II- ‘Our Lives’
‘Our Lives’ looks at the legacy of WW II and its impact on life after the war. Following on from the success of the DVD this new resource book entitled ‘Our Lives’ was published in 2006. It deals with areas such as housing, education, entertainment, employment and emigration. This new book accompanies the World War II DVD and acts as an additional resource for schools. ‘Our Lives’ was edited by Jane Williams, 2006.
NIMC Specialist Collections – Mabel Colhoun collection
The Mabel Colhoun collection is a collection containing a wide variety of items from archives, photographs and private records to textile, costume, archaeology material and ethnography material. Mabel Colhoun died in 1992 and this collection was donated to Derry City Council’s, Heritage and Museum Service by her family.
Mabel Colhoun was an active member of many local historical and archaeological societies across the North West. She had an interest in many areas including archaeology and local history. In 1940 Mabel began to record archaeological sites in the North West, she visited the sites often by bicycle and later by car, until the late 1970s. She was a head teacher of a local school and was also active in local nursery groups.
The Mabel Colhoun Collection is very varied but it has been possible to put the items into a number of categories – mainly – correspondence, documents of historical interest, newspapers, household items, nursery related material, geology, archaeology, photographs and slides, and textiles.
Much of the written material and correspondence relates to her survey of Inishowen and the majority of newspaper cuttings are related to the history of Donegal and Derry. The household items are general and range from knitting kits to picnic sets – most of these items would not at present be regarded as of particular historical interest, however to have a collection which is representative of almost ninety years is significant in itself. The nursery materials range from teaching booklets to posters used for teaching purposes in the classroom.
Funding from the Northern Ireland Museums Council, Research Grant programme, has allowed the Heritage and Museum Service to box, label and cataloguing the collection. A collection report detailing and listing the collection has been completed.
The report is available for download here.
Any requests or queries concerning the collection or publication information must be directed to the archivist at bernadette.walsh@derrycity.gov.uk or at the Harbour Museum 028 7137 7331
Other Publications:
Atlantic Memorial: The Foyle and The Western Approaches 1939-1945; (reprinted May 2005)
Derry and the North West, 1846: The paintings of John Noah Gosset; Fabrics and Fabrications, catalogue to exhibition; 2001
The Irish Heritage Series: Historic Derry and Siege City; 1988
“All Change” the Social Impact of the Railways: NI Regional Curators Group 2004
The Walled City – Derry City Council Economic Development 2006
The Art of Survival – International and Irish Quilts: Exhibition Catalogue 2008
Education Resources:
Education packs are available on the following:
Early Christian Ireland (Key Stage 2)
Plantation & Siege in Derry (Key Stage 3)
Derry Workhouse (Key Stage 2)
Printed activity trails are also available for the Tower Museum and Workhouse Museum
Citizenship/Good Relations materials include:
Discussion trails for both An Armada Shipwreck – La Trinidad Valencera and the Story of Derry exhibitions.
CD ROM- Our Present Past and education pack
Activity Trails – Story of Derry exhibition