heritage centres ireland

The county Down combines so much of the beauty and variety of Northern Ireland within its borders, including St. Patricks Country, The Bronte Homelands, The Mourne Mountains and the Heart of Down. You can follow in St. Patrick's first footsteps on Irish soil from the spot at Ringbane on the shore of Strangford Lough, where he landed in AD 432, via Saul where he preached his first sermon, to Downpatrick where he built a little church.

Slieve Patrick hill has a huge statue (within bro...

A fine example of our industrial heritage in this preserved coal-fired gasworks which was built in 1855 to light the town's street lamps. An audio visual presentation tells the history of the plant along with an exhibition of machinery and a huge array of gas powered equipment. Wheelchair access....

Associated with famous Ulster-Americans, including John Dunlap, printer of the American Declaration of Independence. Display of 19th century hand printing presses. Audio-visual. National Trust. Wheelchair access....

A major section of Galway's medieval town wall runs through the Eyre Square Shopping Centre. The wall was built by the Norman de Burgos who settled on the banks of the River Corrib in the 13th century.
They built it to protect themselves from the native Irish. In recent times this part of the wall had lain unnoticed until it was incorporated into the new shopping development. Today the walls bask in a new-found glory....

The Glebe gallery has over 300 works of art, which where donated by Derek Hill. Most of the pieces are from the 50's and 60's....

In the Footsteps of St. Kilian - St. Kilian was born in Mullagh, Co. Cavan in 640 A.D. in 686 A.D. he became a missionary to Wurzburg in Germany where he was martyred in 689 A.D. The exhibition, which is introduced by a 15 minute audio-visual presentation, deals with St. Kilian and his times, his work, martyrdom and subsequent cult.

It brings to life in maps, photographs, statuettes, manuscript facsimiles and art reproductions, a glorious era in Irish Church history and the work of Iris...

This former Protestant church, now restored as a heritage centre, was once part of the Pre Reformation burial ground and church site of Carrick Mor (Big Carrick).

Its interesting gravestones include a memorial to Thomas Butler, died 1604, an illegitimate son of Thomas, tenth Earl of Ormonde. Buried here too is Dorothea Herbert, 1770 - 1829, daughter of the eighteenth century rector and author of "Retrospections".

Many local artefacts and photographs are on display.The Heritag...

The American Trail: stepping stones through time that bridge the Atlantic. The tale of two countries is told along the American Trail Tour. The tour follows the fortunes of influential Irish Americans who originated from this region, beginning at the ancestral home of the eleventh U.S. President, James Knox Polk. Visitors may lose themselves in a splendid 18th Century walled garden, enjoy home baking in the tea room, or purchase local goods in the craft shop. The presidential connection...

In the last century many areas of Galway city were unpaved and very mucky in wet weather. So gadgets called foot scrapers became popular outside prosperous houses. They were usually made of cast iron and the standard type consisted of two vertical holders with the cleaning bar in between. Most had intricate designs. Two fine examples of footscrapers can be seen outside the main entrance to the Great Southern Hotel, Eyre Square....

Ireland's only basketry museum-exhibition and audio visual presentation. Craft work shop, Craft shop and coffee shop....