Boys' Brigade exhibition in Carrickfergus: Memorabilia from BB's time at Rathmore House sought

Organised by the East Antrim Battalion Heritage Society, the exhibition initially launched in the autumn of 2023 for a three month period.

It aimed to mark the 140th anniversary of the Boys’ Brigade, which was founded in Glasgow on October 4,1883 by Sir William Alexander Smith.

The Society has collected over two thousand articles of memorabilia to date, from badges and membership cards to uniforms and photographs.

Many span the 50-year history of the Boys’ Brigade in East Antrim, while some items are even older, dating back 100 years.

Based on High Street in the town, the collection is once more available to view from today (January 16).

Opening hours are Tuesday – Saturday from 10am-12pm and 2pm-4pm.

The extensive collection has already drawn visitors from all over Northern Ireland and further afield, according to Drew Buchanan MBE, chair of the East Antrim Battalion Heritage Society. “We are hoping to stay on High Street until the end of February,” Mr Buchanan added. “Any former members who would like to volunteer are welcome to get in touch.”

More information is available on the Society’s website at www.bbeab.org

Meanwhile, the group has asked anyone in the local community who may have photographs, newspaper clippings, or other memorabilia relating to the BB’s time at Rathmore House in Larne to contact them.

The former headquarters of the Boys’ Brigade in Northern Ireland opened at Glenarm Road in 1961.

A decision was made to sell the premises in 2012.