The Hour Glass
Before the advent of clocks, among the devices used to figure out time was the hourglass which is illustrated as early as 1338. They became an important part of a ship's navigation equipment and a way to tell the time as the hours would be counted after noon when the sun was at its highest. I...

The Kingfisher
The Kingfisher is one of our most colourful and dramatic looking birds. While they can be seen in rivers and lakes in Northern Ireland, their low rapid flight often results in a blur of iridescent blue as they flash by. As the name suggests, they hunt mainly for fish from riverside perches or o...

The Old Rectory
Analysis of the annual growth rings in the roof timbers has established that this house was built in 1717. This house is also an example of English rather than Irish building traditions, as the skills and techniques employed in its construction were brought into Ireland by English settlers.The wa...

The Scotch Cart
The early 1800s saw the introduction of the Scotch cart into the north east of Ireland, around counties Antrim and Down (at the same time as the Scottish plough, improved horse harness and drill culture filtered into Ulster from Scotland). Until then, spoked wheels had been reserved for the carri...

The Squirrel
The red squirrel is an increasingly rare sight in Northern Ireland whereas the grey squirrel (introduced in 1911, Co Longford) is very common and can be seen in and around the trees on the Mall opposite the Museum. The grey squirrel out-competes the red for food and has a more varied diet which...

The Vikings
“The Vikings are coming, the Vikings are coming!!!”Just imagine the panic on that day in 832 AD, when the Vikings launched their first hit-and-run raid on the great monastery at Armagh. The monastery was an easy target, standing proudly on the hill now occupied by the Church of ...

Transport Galleries
The railway collection is housed in the largest single museum gallery space in Ireland. Steam locomotives, passenger carriages and goods wagons are combined with extensive railway memorabilia, interactive displays and visitor facilities including a children's play area (get close by clicking on t...

Tullyallen Masshouse
Tullyallen Mass House from Tullyallen, near Dungannon, County Tyrone, was the place of worship of the parishioners of Killeeshill Parish       It was built in 1768 on land leased from the Earl of Charlemont, a well-known liberal Irish landlord. Contrary to popul...

Tulylish Bleach Tower
Two centuries ago this small distinctive stone tower provided shelter for a watchman. His duty was to guard the long rows of newly woven linen webs stretched and often pegged down upon the grass and left to bleach in the sun.Older methods of bleaching linen involved various lengthy treatments of ...

Victorian Dress
There are an array of ladies clothes, including wedding dresses, frocks and evening gowns, many dating from the Victorian period. These are accompanied by accessories including fans and purses.