Armagh County Museum facts for kids
.JPG)
Neoclassical façade of Armagh Museum
|
|
| Established | 1937 |
|---|---|
| Location | Armagh |
| Type | Historical museum |
| Collections | Archaeology, Art, Costume, Taxidermy, Library |
| Collection size | 360,000 |
| Founder | Armagh County Council |
| Owner | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council |
| Nearest parking | Street |
The Armagh County Museum is a cool place to explore history in Armagh, Northern Ireland. It's right in the middle of Armagh city, next to a pretty, tree-lined area called The Mall. This museum is actually the oldest county museum in all of Ireland! It first opened its doors in 1937.
Discovering Armagh's History
Early Days as a School (1835–1840s)
The building where the museum now stands wasn't always a museum. It started out as the Charlemont Place National School. An architect named William Murray might have designed it. He was a student of the famous architect Francis Johnston.
A Society for Learning (1856–1930)
The school didn't last very long. In 1856, a group called the Armagh Natural History and Philosophical Society took over the building. They used it as a place to read, study, give talks, and display their collections. This was the start of what would become the museum's collection.
An architect named Edward Gardner changed the building. He turned one big room into two rooms downstairs. He also added a wide balcony upstairs for the museum displays. The Society grew bigger over the years. By 1888, it had 275 members!
The building was very clever inside. The reading room could become a stage for talks. The museum and the theatre were all connected. They had many items to help explain natural history lectures. Their library was full of books on many topics. These included history, science, and art.
Later, in 1891, Art Rooms were built behind the museum. An Art School also ran there for some years. It was part of the South Kensington Museum's Science & Art department.
The Museum Is Born (1930–1937)
In 1930, the Armagh County Council took charge of the building. They mainly wanted to use it for the County Library. But a smart council secretary, T.E. Reid, convinced them to also bring the Philosophical Society's museum back to life.
In 1933, the Council asked J.A. Sidney Stendall to check out the museum. He was an Assistant Curator at the Ulster Museum in Belfast. He wrote a report on how to improve it. He suggested getting rid of some old "curiosities" that weren't useful for a modern museum.
By 1934, they spent money to rebuild parts of the building. This made it good for both a library and a museum. They also decided to pay an Honorary Curator. This was a local historian named George Paterson. He later became known as T.G.F. Paterson.
In 1935, Paterson became the full-time curator. He spent several years organizing the collections. He also updated the display cases and made changes to the building. All this work was finished by 1937. On April 28, 1937, Viscount Charlemont officially opened the museum. He was the Minister of Education for Northern Ireland.
The Carnegie U.K. Trust helped pay for the museum's updates. They gave more money in 1938 for further improvements.
Meet T.G.F. Paterson (1888–1972)
Thomas George Farquhar Paterson was born in Canada in 1888. His family moved back to Ireland when he was a child. They lived on a farm in County Armagh. He often signed his name George Paterson. His friends called him Tommy. But his many articles were almost always signed T.G.F. Paterson.
Even though he grew up on a farm, he worked in a grocery business. He later worked for Couser's grocers in Armagh. This store served the local wealthy families. He didn't have a formal education. But he was very curious about everything around him. This made him perfect for his job as museum curator.
He brought lots of energy to the new museum. He quickly started adding new items to the collection. He was interested in many different things. This helped him collect everything from old archaeological items to 18th-century clothes.
Here's an example of how good Paterson was at finding important items. During Second World War, an artist named John Luke moved to County Armagh. He wanted to escape the bombing in Belfast. Paterson was smart enough to ask him to paint a local scene for the museum. The painting, The Old Callan Bridge (1945), is now a museum treasure. It's seen as one of Luke's best works.
Growing the Collections
Paterson also loved local artists. He was very interested in "Æ" (George Russell), who was born in Lurgan. Russell was a polymath, meaning he was good at many things. Over the years, Paterson convinced many of Russell's friends to donate items. These included paintings by the poet and mystic. He also collected many of Russell's personal things.
Because of Paterson, the museum has 26 of AE's paintings. It also has hundreds of letters he wrote. You can even see his spectacles, passport, painting palette, and birthday book!
Paterson wanted to collect everything important to the region. He got uniforms from the Volunteers from the 1780s. He also collected harvest knots and rush-light candleholders. These were used by people in rural South Armagh. By the late 1950s, the museum was full. So, the Armagh County Council decided to expand it.
Big Changes (1959–1962)
In 1955, D.R.M. (Roger) Weatherup became Paterson's Deputy Curator. In 1959, Paterson and Weatherup spent months packing up the collections. They emptied the display cases for a big renovation. For a few years, their temporary home was the nearby Armagh jail. Paterson even had a cell as his office! He kept doing his research and writing there.
The 1960s and Beyond
While the museum was closed, all the old buildings behind the main front were torn down. This included the Art School from the 1890s. A new red-brick extension was built. It had the museum on the first floor and the library below. The plans also included a caretaker's home. But as the work finished, the council decided they didn't need a live-in caretaker. They thought the home would be perfect for Mr. Paterson. After the official opening in September 1962, he moved in. He retired the next year. But he lived the rest of his life in the museum he helped create.
In March 1963, Roger Weatherup became the new curator.
Changes in the 1970s and 1980s
In the early 1970s, local government in Northern Ireland changed. The Armagh County Council was no longer in charge. This meant the museum lost its main funder. The new Armagh District Council couldn't afford the museum. So, in 1973, they agreed to transfer it to the Ulster Museum. This started a 40-year partnership with Northern Ireland's National Museum in Belfast.
This close link with the Ulster Museum was very helpful. The Armagh County Museum could use the skills and resources of the bigger museum.
In the early 1980s, the museum had a chance to grow. A new Library Headquarters was built outside Armagh city. This meant the ground floor of the museum building became empty. The museum took over these rooms. They used them for storage and offices.
From the 1990s to Today
In 1995, a report suggested merging several museums. These included the Ulster Museum, the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum, and the Ulster American Folk Park. This goal was achieved in 1997. The Armagh County Museum was part of this plan. It became part of National Museums Northern Ireland (NMNI). It has been one of the four parts of NMNI ever since. It gets its funding from the Department of Culture Arts and Leisure (DCAL).
In April 2015, the museum was transferred again. It is now part of the new Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council. This happened as part of Northern Ireland's Review of Public Administration.
What You Can See: Collections
The Armagh County Museum has many interesting collections. They show different parts of the area's history and culture.
Ancient Finds: Archaeology
During the 1930s and 1940s, people dug up many ancient sites in South Armagh. The museum got many items from these digs. These include things from places like Clontygora and Annaghmare. The museum also has ancient objects from the Philosophical Society's private collections.
Getting Around: Transport
The transport section has items about how people used to travel. It includes old handbills, posters, and railway items. D.R.M. Weatherup collected these in the 1960s. This was when local train lines were closing down.
Fashion Through Time: Costume
Paterson knew many wealthy families in Armagh. He met them when he worked at Couser's grocers in the 1920s. Decades later, when many of their "big houses" were closing, these families donated clothes. These were often outfits worn by their ancestors.
Creative Works: Art
The art collection has different types of paintings.
- Paintings by artists from the local area.
- Paintings of local people.
- Works showing buildings and landscapes of County Armagh.
You can also see paintings by famous Northern Irish artists. These include T.P. Flanagan, Maurice MacGonigal, Beatrice Glenavy, James Humbert Craig, Maurice Wilks, John Luke, Cecil Maguire, James Sinton Sleator, William Conor, and Charles Lamb. Most of the older family portraits are by unknown artists. But some are by famous painters like Stephen Slaughter and Martin Cregan. You can see many of the oil and acrylic paintings online at ArtUK's website.
The English watercolour artist Cornelius Varley visited Ireland in 1808. His pencil drawings of Armagh city and Markethill are also part of the museum's collection.
