Ballymoney’s “Secret Treasures” on ITV1!

The series is hosted by award-winning journalist Michael Buerk and leading historian and broadcaster Bettany Hughes.

Following its success last year, Michael, Bettany and a host of guest presenters have been uncovering a fresh hoard of extraordinary objects found by ordinary people that have changed our understanding of British history.

The latest series has joined with the National Museum of Northern Ireland and for the first time includes stories of outstanding artefacts discovered by members of the public on this side of the Irish Sea.

Each and every artefact included in the new eight-part series has been selected due to its national importance, beauty and cultural or historic significance. All are artefacts, objects or treasures that have been left, lost or discarded by our ancestors, which reveal the remarkable story of how we once lived.

Drumbest Horns become TV stars!

This week’s programme features four prehistoric horns discovered together in bogland at Drumbest in 1844. The horns were made by Bronze Age people who lived near Ballymoney.

Three millennia later, they were found beautifully preserved, deep in the peat of North Antrim.

Two of the horns are held in the Ulster Museum, one in the National Museum of Ireland, Dublin and the fourth is in Ballymoney Museum. (NB The horn on display in Ballymoney Museum is kindly on long term loan from the York Museum Trust).

Well known television actor Kevin Whately came to Ballymoney in June and filmed in Ballymoney Town Hall and at Kilraughts. Kevin, the star of detective series “Lewis”, is a motorcycle road racing enthusiast and was thrilled to call briefly at “Joey’s Bar”, owned by the family of the legendary Joey Dunlop OBE.

To see the Drumbest Horns on “Britain’s Secret Treasures” switch on ITV1 at 8.30pm, Thursday 7 November. To see one of the amazing Drumbest Horns in real life, visit Ballymoney Museum, opening hours Monday-Thursday & Saturday 9am-5pm and Friday 9am-4.30pm.