Ulster Folk Museum

50m

Samhain Stories from the Sound Archive | EPISODE 5 Have you ever experienced a death warning? 🎙️ HOYFM_C2010-52_s1_f1_v1 Our thanks to the oral history participants for sharing their stories with us, drawn from the Sound Archive at National Museums NI.

Ulster Folk Museum reposted

Having a cosy Friday night in? Catch Chloe & Amy on UTV's 'On the Ground’ at 7.30pm, on the lookout for bats at the Ulster Folk Museum! @ulsterfolkmuseum.org

Ulster Folk Museum reposted

We're holding a volunteer info session! Role: restore a beautiful pond & have your say in our Reawakening Project at the @ulsterfolkmuseum.org nationalmuseumsni.digitickets.co.uk/event-ticket... Part of Museums for Nature, made possible with the National Heritage Lottery Fund.

18 Sept

Join the team that will be involved in 'Reawakening the Ulster Folk Museum', our £50m transformation project, as an Assistant Curator - Folk Life. Thanks to the #NationalLotteryHeritageFund, this is a fixed-term post for 3.5 years. Application deadline 27.09.26 ce0568li.webitrent.com/ce0568li_web...

21 Aug

Drumcree Catholic Church was built in the late 18th century, more than 50 years before the repeal of the Penal Laws. The parish moved into a new church in the 1970s, but still feel a strong affinity to this church where their ancestors worshipped, and joined us for a special visit this summer.

21 Aug

Read about their stories and deep ties to the church → bit.ly/DrumcreePari...

7 Aug

Explore the #IrishDanceCollection with Valerie Wilson, Curator of Textiles ☘️ With the earliest items dating from 1933, and with over 100 items, this collection is considered one of the biggest in Ireland. Watch the full video → bit.ly/4q3FHm1 #IrishDanceCostume #Fleadh

4 Aug

Valerie Wilson, Curator of Textiles, takes us behind-the-scenes to look at some of the most impressive items in our Irish Dance Collection! ☘️ To celebrate the #Fleadh coming to Belfast, this beautiful velvet costume is now on display at our sister museum @ulstermuseum.org for the month of August!

4 Aug

Designed by and made by Trevor McDevitte of Sew-Pro Embroidery in Ballymena, the machine embroidered motifs reference the Bann Disc, a major archaeological find in Ulster. Both the dress and Bann Disc are now on display at the Ulster Museum 👗

23 June

I'll meet you at the crossroads for a dance around the bonfire 🔥 In our Sound Archive, we have recordings of people talking about the 23rd June - a night of neighbours gathering for bonfires, dancing and a good time. #SaintJohn'sEve, #Midsummer, #BonfireNight - what do you call the 23rd June?

23 June

Interviews heard in order: 🎙: HOYFM_C76-60 Glenlark, County Tyrone, 1976. Interview with Barnie Bradley and his wife Mary Bradley. 🎙: HOYFM_R85-69 Forkhill, County Armagh, 1985. Interview with Brigid Murphy.

23 June

🎙: HOYFM_C76-54 Carrickmore, County Tyrone, 1976. Interview with with Mrs. Annie Montague and her sister Miss Hannah Nugent. 🎙: HOFYM_C76-52 Carrickmore, County Tyrone, 1976. Interview with Mr. and Mrs. Hughes.

18 June

Have you ever wondered how our houses get built back up? Stone by stone of course! These photos show the Ballyvollen Houses from their original location near Lough Neagh in 1995, to their new home at the Folk Museum.

18 June

📸 Photo 1: the stones are numbered to help our buildings team put the house back together. HOYFM.L3872.1 📸 Photo 2: the Ballyvollen Houses in the middle of being built, 1998. HOYFM.L4115.9 📸 Photo 3: Ballyvollen Houses - a survey was conducted before cleaning of undergrowth, 1995. HOYFM.L3851.2

18 June

Join Victoria Millar, Senior Curator of History, for a talk on the Ballyvollen Houses this weekend, Saturday 20 June → bit.ly/4dTcFQc

Ulster Folk Museum reposted

16 June

We’re delighted to be part of Museums for Nature - a programme by @nhm-london.bsky.social, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. We look forward to collaborating with partners to restore pond habitats at the @ulsterfolkmuseum.org. Read more: www.museumsassociation.org/museums-jour...

9 June

Last year, Joshua Burnside explored the archives of Robert Huddleston and created new songs inspired by his poems. The songs are a poignant reminder of how archives are places of empathy, understanding, & belonging. Listen to 'Mary on the Brain' → bit.ly/_MaryOnTheBr... #InternationalArchivesDay

5 June

🌿 This #WorldEnvironmentDay, take a walk with us through the Ulster Folk Museum. Aren't we lucky to have this beautiful natural heritage site right on our doorstep? 🌸 #WED2026

🧵Last week, we got the chance to explore the archives of our museum's founders. Before our first cottage opened in 1963, they visited open air and folk museums across the UK, Europe & the world. They brought back with them not only new ideas and friendships, but also pamphlets. Very cool pamphlets.

View full thread

Ironically, our favourite from these North American pamphlets comes from Newfoundland's tourist association, not the museums. Sorry Bath Marine Museum!

We think these pamphlets (and many more that we haven't featured in this thread!) helped our founders put together their own. This booklet pitched the idea for a folk museum in Ulster - a museum that told the story of 'the ploughed field, not the battlefield'. Happy #InternationalMuseumDay!

View full thread

Another winner in the illustration category, this guide to @themerl.bsky.social set Estyn Evans back only one shilling.

This pamphlet from the Netherlands Open Air Museum in Arhem has an interesting history. In 1941, while under occupation, the museum was renamed the 'National Folk Museum' - and we can see here the pamphlet on one side reads, 'Statemuseum for folklore'. We're not sure when its name was restored?

Familiar to some fellow museums on here who attended the @museumsassociation.org 2025 conference, this pamphlet comes from the Welsh Folk Museum - today known in English as St Fagans National Museum of History.

We've all been stung before, but #BeNiceToNettlesWeek is a time to appreciate that from soup to clothing, nettles can do it all! 📝 Textile artist Lyndsey McDougall shared with us her technique for turning nettles into fabric dye - including a step by step guide! → bit.ly/DyeingWithNe...

15 May

Hot, fresh soda bread, anyone? 🍞 If you tried your hand with buttermaking last week, maybe it's time to give soda bread a try... You only need four ingredients: plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and buttermilk → bit.ly/3RBmqLm #FarlFriday #FoodHeritage #IrishRecipes

Ulster Folk Museum reposted

14 May

It’s No Mow May @ulsterfolkmuseum.org & lots of native wildflowers are popping up. Let us know what’s growing in your local no mow patch on the iRecord app or CEDaR Online Recording!

jobs.ac.ukDruid Lecturer-in-Residence (0.5 FTE) at University of GalwayDiscover an exciting academic career path as a Druid Lecturer-in-Residence (0.5 FTE) at jobs.ac.uk. Don't miss out on this job opportunity - apply today!

12 May

Druid is a touring theatre company based in the west of Ireland. For those of us who experienced a wonderful and baffling few minutes thinking that the University of Galway was hiring a druid.

Deirdre Flynn@deirdreflynn.bsky.social

Druid Lecturer-in-Residence (0.5 FTE) University of Galway Part time 52 months www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DRK335/d...

8 May

After watching our incredible visitor guides make their own butter (🤯), we found these delightful photographs in our archives that give a glimpse into a past life of butter making. Please note: these days, we do not recommend you put sour milk under your bed. For any reason.

bit.lyHow to make your own butter at the Ulster Folk Museum!🧈 Have you ever wanted to make your own butter from scratch? Join our talented visitor guides Malin Hemphill and Neil Wilson, and learn about all the steps you need to take to churn your own butter! While this seems like a lot of work in the present day, this was something that was made every single day by families that owned dairy cows in Ireland. 📲 Follow Ulster Folk Museum for more heritage crafts & traditions: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ulsterfolkmuseum/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UlsterFolkMuseum/ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/ulsterfolkmuseum.org 📚 Discover more traditional stories and skills: https://www.ulsterfolkmuseum.org/stories #UlsterFolkMuseum #TraditionalButterMaking #Butter #LivingHistory #HeritageSkills #IrishHeritage #ButterMaking #HomemadeButter #FoodHeritage #StorytellingThroughFood #ChurnButter #HistoricCooking #SustainableSkills #BackToBasics LQQZP6MWHOLPVGN0

8 May

📸: Pans of milk placed to sour under a bed. Co Antrim, 1931, HOYFM.L546.8; Butter making in Co. Antrim farm kitchen. HOYFM.L882.10. You can watch our video on traditional butter making here → bit.ly/4tJYHXy! #FoodHistory

5 May

🧈 It’s simpler than you’d think - just double cream, salt and a pinch of patience. This is butter making, the traditional way. Watch the full video → bit.ly/4tJYHXy #FoodHeritage #ButterMaking #HowTo

1 May

#HappyBealtaine from the Ulster Folk Museum 🌼 ☀️ Bealtaine, also known as May Day, marked the beginning of summer. Read more about May Day Traditions with Senior Curator of History, Victoria Millar → bit.ly/4ujbXlS #UlsterFolkMuseum #MayDay #QuarterDays

27 Apr

📸 Taken in 1961, this photograph shows the original entrance to the #UlsterFolkMuseum. Discover the story behind the Ulster Folk Museum on a guided walking tour on Saturday 9th May → www.ulsterfolkmuseum.org/whats-on/beh... HOYFM.L.10.13

24 Apr

Did you know we have a Teachers Panel? This year, we’d love to hear from more Irish‑medium primary teachers. Are you free after school on Thursday 7 May? 🕓 4.00–5.30pm 📍 Ulster Folk Museum If you’re interested in taking part, we’d love to hear from you: forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/Respon...

24 Apr

What better way to spend a sunny spring Saturday than strolling around the Ulster Folk Museum at Leaf and Lore – a guided walk discovering Ireland’s native trees and the folklore that surrounds them. Happening tomorrow, Sat 25th April! Book your tickets - www.ulsterfolkmuseum.org/whats-on/lea...

23 Apr

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and weemin merely players..." In 1964, G.B. Adams recorded 7 people from different counties reading one of Shakespeare's most famous monologues. Gather round as the men and women of Ulster take to the stage → bit.ly/4vFaJTs #Shakespeare #ButMakeItUlster

23 Apr

To date, we have been unable to locate the speakers for this recording despite every reasonable effort having been made to trace and contact them, we would be keen to get in contact. If you have any information regarding this please contact picture.library@nationalmuseumsni.org

17 Apr

🍃 Life is like the Seasons by Caroline Watson, 1983. Caroline's poem will guide you through the colours of Autumn, the snow-topped pine trees of Winter, finishing with a promise of a soft, green Spring - the season we are all yearning for. #SoundArchive #UlsterFolkMuseum

17 Apr

Caroline's oral history was taken in 1983 by Anthony Buckley. To date, we have been unable to locate a copyright holder for this recording despite every reasonable effort having been made to trace them. If you have any information regarding this please contact picture.library@nationalmuseumsni.org

6 Apr

Have you ever heard of an #EasterCakeDance? 🎂💃 During the Easter festivities, some families enjoyed dancing outdoors if the weather was nice. This sometimes took the form of a contest where a large, specially baked cake was the prize. This Easter dance contest was called a “cake dance”.

6 Apr

From all of us at the Folk Museum (and also the grown-up Teletubby baby), happy Easter! 🥚: A cardboard Easter egg from Sloan's Draper's shop in Kilkeel, HOYFM.159.1982B.

4 Apr

🥚 #Easter was generally perceived as a hopeful and joyous time of the year. Along with the longer days and brighter nights it brought a sense of the ‘new’. Read more about Easter Traditions → bit.ly/3QggJ4M Pictured - A Nostalgic Easter; Quilling, Making Easter Bonnets

Ulster Folk Museum reposted

20 Mar

Last week 60 amazing volunteers planted 1000 native trees @ulsterfolkmuseum.org 🌳 Thanks to everyone who was involved & also @tcvnational.bsky.social, Woodland Trust & National Museums NI. Happy to see oak, hazel, alder, cherry & rowan saplings in our woodland ahead of international day of forests🌱

20 Mar

🌱 Untitled (Springtime in Ireland) by Caroline Watson, 1983. In our Sound Archive, we're honoured to have a recording of Caroline Watson reciting her poetry. This one was inspired by #spring in Ireland. As our days are getting warmer, brighter & longer, we're delighted to share this gem with you 🌸

20 Mar

18 Mar

🏆 Congratulations to Jessie Buckley for winning Best Actress at the #Oscars! No Hamnet spoilers, but we were excited to spot a straw knot during an emotional scene. We asked our talented Visitor Guide Margaret to see if she could help us recreate this Oscar-worthy knot. #HarvestKnot #HamnetKnot

8 Mar

This handkerchief tells of a small but significant act of Mother Mary Smith to uplift Irish women in the 1800s. The handkerchief has a border of Youghal needlepoint lace. Youghal lace was developed by Mother Smith of Presentation Convent, Youghal, to provide employment for women in the local area.

8 Mar

Irish lace has a rich history spanning nearly 4 centuries. The skills and artistry of the women who made lace live on in examples of Irish lace in collections across the world. This #InternationalWomen’sDay, explore our lace collection with Valerie Wilson, Curator of Textiles → bit.ly/Irish_Lace

3 Mar

Born 175 years apart, we brought together two folk bards from County Down through our Library and Archives. Experience folk singer-songwriter Joshua Burnside (b.1989) and Robert Huddleston (b.1814) through music and storytelling in ‘The Folk Bards of Ulster’. www.ulsterfolkmuseum.org/stories/folk...

Ulster Folk Museum reposted