NI Centennial community champions are celebrated

The fully illustrated 55 page booklet features content from the project’s centenary exhibition which is currently on display at The Braid Town Hall, Museum and Arts Centre.

The exhibition covers themes such as partition and the creation of Northern Ireland; sense of place; the Second World War; education, health and welfare and popular culture drawing on Council’s museum collections.

Free copies of the booklet are available for exhibition visitors.

The booklet highlights other project contributions since May 2021 as well. These include an engaging film ‘Women in Politics’ based on interviews with five female Elected Members as a citizenship resource for secondary schools; a new poem entitled ‘Home’ written by Ulster University writer in residence, Angeline King, created after a series of workshops with three primary schools in the Borough and a range of fascinating local history research contributions compiled by 20 Looking Back to Look Forward project volunteers.

A reference section sign posts on-line information for those who would like to carry out their own research on 100 years of Northern Ireland.

The Mayor said: “We have used the anniversary of the creation of Northern Ireland to reflect on everyday life across the decades since 1921 and to look to the future, showcasing our Borough as a forward thinking and well-connected place, with huge potential. We would like to acknowledge the support provided for our Looking Back, to Look Forward project through a Shared History Fund grant from the Northern Ireland Office, distributed by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.”

Chair of Council’s NI Centenary Working Group, Cr Cheryl Brownlee congratulated the project volunteers who hailed from Ballymena. Cullybackey and the wider borough before presenting them with a special certificate of appreciation at the launch where Chair of the National Lottery Heritage Fund in Northern Ireland, Mukesh Sharma MBE, was the special guest.

He said: “This project is one of 39 projects funded through the programme and will help a wide range of people to explore the key events and moments in Northern Ireland’s history.”