After almost a decade of planning and development, today the 22nd July, marks the public opening of Derry’s iconic new Peacemakers Museum.
The museum, located in the Gasyard Centre in Derry’s Bogside, has been supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and will enable visitors to learn of the story of the Bogside community from 1972–2007, including the many ways its people contributed to the transition from conflict to peace. The museum will include artefacts and archive footage, oral history interviews with fifty local residents and installations on local landmarks including Free Derry Wall and the former Rossville flats.
Visitors will discover the role of women and young people in moving society forward, with insights into women’s rights, trade unionism and LGBTQ+ experiences, as well as the role of culture and sport in the community. The museum also covers the roles of former deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, Nobel Peace laureate John Hume, and former Speaker of the Assembly Mitchel McLaughlin in the development of the peace process.
Gasyard Trust Manager Linda McKinney commented:
“We are delighted that we can welcome visitors to our new museum from 22nd July. It has been a labour of love for the Gasyard Trust and will allow visitors from across the globe to learn our story. The museum will also have extensive retail facilities, parking as well as a community cafe which will offer an extensive menu and outdoor seating area to both local residents and visitors”.
Project Manager Michael Cooper added:
“The museum and its accompanying website are specifically designed to cater for both visitors with no advance knowledge of the conflict and peace process and also academic groups studying the period.
It also incorporates meeting rooms where tourist and academic groups can have discussions with local residents with direct experience of the period covered by the museum. The museum’s historical content has been developed using the Principles of Remembrance in a Public Space and will perfectly complement the existing Museum of Free Derry.
We are confident it will be a huge asset both for our local community and also to the heritage and tourism offer of the wider city.”
Dr Paul Mullan, Northern Ireland Director at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said:
“Heritage is all about how we understand the past and how that can be retained for the future. Over thirty years, thanks to National Lottery players, we’ve invested £270million in a variety of heritage across Northern Ireland – from built and natural heritage through to community heritage projects which help people explore their past.
The new Peacemakers Museum presents the stories of a community reflecting the perspectives of people in the Bogside and how they engaged with the peace process. The exhibition and its audio and visual archive connect into the wider story and helps deepen understanding of the key events of the period.
With project funding from the Heritage Fund, communities can tell their stories of the past and conserve and share their experiences so that others can better understand their perspective. Anyone who has a heritage project idea they would like to bring to life, can visit the Heritage Fund website to find out more.”
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