Causeway Coast and Glens Mayor celebrates ten years of the Friends of Ballycastle Museum

The Friends of Ballycastle Museum are a volunteer group who support the Council’s Museum Services working on local heritage projects and extending the museum’s opening season every year.

Housed in Ballycastle’s old courthouse and market building, the museum’s collections showcase the long history of the town, from the Stone Age through the 18th century industrial development to today and opens to the public from Easter until the end of September each year.

Mayor Councillor Ciaran McQuillan said: “On behalf of Council I would like to express our gratitude for the passion and dedication shown by the Friends of Ballycastle Museum.

“In this, the tenth anniversary of their foundation, the volunteers have stepped up and opened the museum throughout the season, demonstrating their commitment to local history and to making Ballycastle’s heritage more accessible to all, which we are very grateful for.

“The plans to restore and extend Ballycastle Museum with the support of The National Lottery Heritage Fund are well underway and we are excited at the prospect of continuing to work alongside the Friends well into the future. Their local knowledge and expertise cannot be understated."

The Mayor continued: “I would also like to congratulate the Friends on the publication of their book, 30 Ballycastle Treasures, earlier in the year. The book, which highlights 30 different objects from the museum collection, provides fascinating stories that link to the history of the town. The book demonstrates the wealth of knowledge within the group and illustrates the benefits of working with local groups to explore social history.”

Brian Molloy, current Chair of the Friends of Ballycastle Museum, said: "We’re all very passionate about our local history and appreciate the opportunity, working in partnership with Council’s Museum Services, to be able to share that passion with the local community, not just through opening the museum but engaging in various other outreach activities.

“We share the Mayor’s excitement about the planned extension of the museum and look forward to the next ten years, with even greater opportunities to share our local history.”

To find out more about Ballycastle Museum visit https://niarchive.org/projectitems/ballycastle-museum-restoration-extension-and-refurbishment-project.