Press Release

New Armada exhibition brings local story international acclaim £ 2.7million investment realises city’s Armada ambition

25th October 2005

An ambitious Armada exhibition showcasing a pioneering achievement in underwater archaeology excavation is now completed at the Tower Museum, Derry. The £2.7m exhibition will be housed in the Tower Museum and will open today, (Tuesday 25th October), realising the city’s ambitions to exhibit the recovered Armada artefacts in the North West of Ireland.

The new exhibition, An Armada Shipwreck–La Trinidad Valencera, will put on display many of the artefacts recovered from the sunken ship La Trinidad Valencera. This vessel was one of the largest ships in the Armada Fleet and foundered in Kinnagoe Bay, just along the north coast of Donegal, during a violent storm in 1588.

Speaking after visiting the Tower Museum, Mayor Cllr Lynn Fleming said it was a unique exhibition that brings international acclaim to a local story.

“The discovery of the La Trinidad Valencera by the City of Derry Sub Aqua Club is a remarkable story in itself and provides a unique opportunity to present the Armada journey through this local achievement. The recovered artefacts are stunning and the interactive approach to telling this story adds to the sense of discovery. The exhibition is free to the public during its opening week and I would encourage everyone to come along”.

The An Armada Shipwreck ~ La Trinidad Valencera exhibition receives funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Derry City Council. The central feature of the exhibition is the array of artefacts including cannons, textiles, pottery, wooden bowls, pewter dishes, goblets, coins and shoes along with many other items. The collection of recovered artefacts are on loan from the Ulster Museum along with artefacts loaned from the Science Museum, London; National Maritime Museum; Royal Armouries, Leeds and the City of Derry Sub Aqua Club. Audio visual and interactive displays offer a wealth of information for student, visitor and tourist alike, with all the audio material available in a choice of six languages. There’s also a Discovery Trail, aimed primarily at schoolchildren, which encourages those taking part to use lessons from the history of the Elizabethan era for conflict resolution in today’s society.

Heritage Lottery Fund's Chair for Northern Ireland, Primrose Wilson, said,

"HLF funds projects both large and small that help people to conserve, explore and learn about Northern Ireland's diverse heritage. We were delighted to be able to support this exciting new exhibition that not only tells the story of the La Trinidad Valencera but also highlights the skills and techniques of underwater archaeology. HLF is always pleased to support a project with so many creative education opportunities to allow people from the casual visitor to the history student to find out about their heritage."

Derry City Council would like to thank the project funders and the project team for their support. Project team members include Derry City Council, Hamilton Architects, The Mulheron Partnerships, Albert Fry Associates, Gillespie & Cummings, McCann Brothers, Thomas Hanna & Sons and Lorne Electrical. David McCabe Design, Patton Group, the Nerve Centre, Science Projects, Robert Farrow Workshops and Service Graphics Limited are all key contributors to the project team. A host of specialist advisors have also contributed to making this project achievable.

The Autumn/Winter opening for the exhibition is Monday – Friday 10:00am – 4:00pm with interim pricing arrangements for single admission are individuals £3, School and Adult groups £2.50. For further information on bookings and admission please contact 028 71 372 411.

Notes to Editor

The Tower Museum is located within the city’s historic walls and has won four major awards since its opening in October 1992. These include the Irish Museum of the Year Award 1993, The British Airways Tourism Endeavour Award 1993, the National Heritage IBM UK Museum of the Year Award 1994 and Special Commendation European Museum of the Year Award in 1994.

In 1971 the City of Derry Sub-Aqua Club were instrumental in excavating the site under the direction of Colin Martin, Maritime Archaeologist at the Institute of Maritime Studies at St Andrews University, Scotland. The excavation was filmed by the BBC as part of its Chronicle Series resulting in two programmes being screened in the early 1970’s. The excavation was one of the first underwater archaeological ventures of its kind and has supplied a stunning collection of material through revolutionary techniques invented to excavate, chart and recover the material from the ship. The assistance and expertise of the staff from the Ulster Museum was invaluable throughout the excavation. Staff of the Ulster Museum’s Conservation Department prepared the artefacts for display and assisted with installation. Winifred Glover, Curator responsible for the collection at the Ulster Museum, provided support and advice with the exhibition.

The top of the Tower Museum (level 5) provides the only open air viewing facility in the heart of the city centre with stunning panoramic views of the inner city and river Foyle. Moving from the outdoor brightness to a moody and theatrical level 4 the visitor continues with the period of history that tells the story of the ill-fated Armada voyage. Exit stair cases with graphics and sound draw you further into the story and onto level 3 to the seabed of Kinnagoe bay where La Trinidad Valencera was shipwrecked. This level has original excavation footage from 1971 and outlines the pioneering underwater archaeology that was first tested in the waters of the North West of Ireland. The City of Derry Sub-Aqua Club, who found the wreck, tell their story along with the poignant stories of the Armada survivors. The double height space and large scale graphics brings a feeling of depth to this evocative space. This theme is continued in level 2 where an excavation mock up of the seabed brings together a corresponding grid and replica objects. This floor has an open display of a cannon retrieved from the wreck, accessible in a dedicated alcove display area. The cannon is also the centre-piece of the newly constructed welcome visual for the museum. It is situated in a showcase display area of a large window that creates an unusual and unique external welcome feature for the museum. Level 1 is the interactive area for families and visitors with hands-on interactive areas bringing to life the science of excavation and the knowledge of the underwater world of archaeology and the intricacies of conservation

A new reception area will create a welcoming space for visitors and in 2006 will also direct visitors to the refurbished Story of Derry Exhibition fitted with new display cases, enhanced visitor orientation and a range of updated audiovisuals.

For additional information contact:

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