Ulster Folk Museum

Ulster Folk Museum

@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

Celebrating everyday skills, stories & traditions passed down through generations in Ulster. 🧵 Putting the past in dialogue with the present — to shape the future. 📍 Part of National Museums NI | 🔗 ulsterfolkmuseum.org

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Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

Drumcree Catholic Church was built in the late 18th century, more than 50 years before the repeal of the Penal Laws. The parish moved into a new church in the 1970s, but still feel a strong affinity to this church where their ancestors worshipped, and joined us for a special visit this summer.

Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

Explore the #IrishDanceCollection with Valerie Wilson, Curator of Textiles ☘️ With the earliest items dating from 1933, and with over 100 items, this collection is considered one of the biggest in Ireland. Watch the full video → bit.ly/4q3FHm1 #IrishDanceCostume #Fleadh

Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

Valerie Wilson, Curator of Textiles, takes us behind-the-scenes to look at some of the most impressive items in our Irish Dance Collection! ☘️ To celebrate the #Fleadh coming to Belfast, this beautiful velvet costume is now on display at our sister museum @ulstermuseum.org for the month of August!

Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

Designed by and made by Trevor McDevitte of Sew-Pro Embroidery in Ballymena, the machine embroidered motifs reference the Bann Disc, a major archaeological find in Ulster. Both the dress and Bann Disc are now on display at the Ulster Museum 👗

Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

I'll meet you at the crossroads for a dance around the bonfire 🔥 In our Sound Archive, we have recordings of people talking about the 23rd June - a night of neighbours gathering for bonfires, dancing and a good time. #SaintJohn'sEve, #Midsummer, #BonfireNight - what do you call the 23rd June?

Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

Interviews heard in order: 🎙: HOYFM_C76-60 Glenlark, County Tyrone, 1976. Interview with Barnie Bradley and his wife Mary Bradley. 🎙: HOYFM_R85-69 Forkhill, County Armagh, 1985. Interview with Brigid Murphy.

Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

🎙: HOYFM_C76-54 Carrickmore, County Tyrone, 1976. Interview with with Mrs. Annie Montague and her sister Miss Hannah Nugent. 🎙: HOFYM_C76-52 Carrickmore, County Tyrone, 1976. Interview with Mr. and Mrs. Hughes.

Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

Have you ever wondered how our houses get built back up? Stone by stone of course! These photos show the Ballyvollen Houses from their original location near Lough Neagh in 1995, to their new home at the Folk Museum.

Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

📸 Photo 1: the stones are numbered to help our buildings team put the house back together. HOYFM.L3872.1 📸 Photo 2: the Ballyvollen Houses in the middle of being built, 1998. HOYFM.L4115.9 📸 Photo 3: Ballyvollen Houses - a survey was conducted before cleaning of undergrowth, 1995. HOYFM.L3851.2

Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

Last year, Joshua Burnside explored the archives of Robert Huddleston and created new songs inspired by his poems. The songs are a poignant reminder of how archives are places of empathy, understanding, & belonging. Listen to 'Mary on the Brain' → bit.ly/_MaryOnTheBr... #InternationalArchivesDay

Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

🌿 This #WorldEnvironmentDay, take a walk with us through the Ulster Folk Museum. Aren't we lucky to have this beautiful natural heritage site right on our doorstep? 🌸 #WED2026

Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

🧵Last week, we got the chance to explore the archives of our museum's founders. Before our first cottage opened in 1963, they visited open air and folk museums across the UK, Europe & the world. They brought back with them not only new ideas and friendships, but also pamphlets. Very cool pamphlets.

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Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

We think these pamphlets (and many more that we haven't featured in this thread!) helped our founders put together their own. This booklet pitched the idea for a folk museum in Ulster - a museum that told the story of 'the ploughed field, not the battlefield'. Happy #InternationalMuseumDay!

Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

🧵Last week, we got the chance to explore the archives of our museum's founders. Before our first cottage opened in 1963, they visited open air and folk museums across the UK, Europe & the world. They brought back with them not only new ideas and friendships, but also pamphlets. Very cool pamphlets.

View full thread
Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

This pamphlet from the Netherlands Open Air Museum in Arhem has an interesting history. In 1941, while under occupation, the museum was renamed the 'National Folk Museum' - and we can see here the pamphlet on one side reads, 'Statemuseum for folklore'. We're not sure when its name was restored?

Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

🧵Last week, we got the chance to explore the archives of our museum's founders. Before our first cottage opened in 1963, they visited open air and folk museums across the UK, Europe & the world. They brought back with them not only new ideas and friendships, but also pamphlets. Very cool pamphlets.

Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

We've all been stung before, but #BeNiceToNettlesWeek is a time to appreciate that from soup to clothing, nettles can do it all! 📝 Textile artist Lyndsey McDougall shared with us her technique for turning nettles into fabric dye - including a step by step guide! → bit.ly/DyeingWithNe...

Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

Hot, fresh soda bread, anyone? 🍞 If you tried your hand with buttermaking last week, maybe it's time to give soda bread a try... You only need four ingredients: plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and buttermilk → bit.ly/3RBmqLm #FarlFriday #FoodHeritage #IrishRecipes

Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

Druid is a touring theatre company based in the west of Ireland. For those of us who experienced a wonderful and baffling few minutes thinking that the University of Galway was hiring a druid.

Deirdre Flynn@deirdreflynn.bsky.social

Druid Lecturer-in-Residence (0.5 FTE) University of Galway Part time 52 months www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DRK335/d...

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Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

After watching our incredible visitor guides make their own butter (🤯), we found these delightful photographs in our archives that give a glimpse into a past life of butter making. Please note: these days, we do not recommend you put sour milk under your bed. For any reason.

Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

📸: Pans of milk placed to sour under a bed. Co Antrim, 1931, HOYFM.L546.8; Butter making in Co. Antrim farm kitchen. HOYFM.L882.10. You can watch our video on traditional butter making here → bit.ly/4tJYHXy! #FoodHistory

bit.lyHow to make your own butter at the Ulster Folk Museum!🧈 Have you ever wanted to make your own butter from scratch? Join our talented visitor guides Malin Hemphill and Neil Wilson, and learn about all the steps you need to take to churn your own butter! While this seems like a lot of work in the present day, this was something that was made every single day by families that owned dairy cows in Ireland. 📲 Follow Ulster Folk Museum for more heritage crafts & traditions: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ulsterfolkmuseum/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UlsterFolkMuseum/ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/ulsterfolkmuseum.org 📚 Discover more traditional stories and skills: https://www.ulsterfolkmuseum.org/stories #UlsterFolkMuseum #TraditionalButterMaking #Butter #LivingHistory #HeritageSkills #IrishHeritage #ButterMaking #HomemadeButter #FoodHeritage #StorytellingThroughFood #ChurnButter #HistoricCooking #SustainableSkills #BackToBasics LQQZP6MWHOLPVGN0
Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

#HappyBealtaine from the Ulster Folk Museum 🌼 ☀️ Bealtaine, also known as May Day, marked the beginning of summer. Read more about May Day Traditions with Senior Curator of History, Victoria Millar → bit.ly/4ujbXlS #UlsterFolkMuseum #MayDay #QuarterDays

Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and weemin merely players..." In 1964, G.B. Adams recorded 7 people from different counties reading one of Shakespeare's most famous monologues. Gather round as the men and women of Ulster take to the stage → bit.ly/4vFaJTs #Shakespeare #ButMakeItUlster

Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

To date, we have been unable to locate the speakers for this recording despite every reasonable effort having been made to trace and contact them, we would be keen to get in contact. If you have any information regarding this please contact picture.library@nationalmuseumsni.org

Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

🍃 Life is like the Seasons by Caroline Watson, 1983. Caroline's poem will guide you through the colours of Autumn, the snow-topped pine trees of Winter, finishing with a promise of a soft, green Spring - the season we are all yearning for. #SoundArchive #UlsterFolkMuseum

Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

Caroline's oral history was taken in 1983 by Anthony Buckley. To date, we have been unable to locate a copyright holder for this recording despite every reasonable effort having been made to trace them. If you have any information regarding this please contact picture.library@nationalmuseumsni.org

Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

Have you ever heard of an #EasterCakeDance? 🎂💃 During the Easter festivities, some families enjoyed dancing outdoors if the weather was nice. This sometimes took the form of a contest where a large, specially baked cake was the prize. This Easter dance contest was called a “cake dance”.

Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

🥚 #Easter was generally perceived as a hopeful and joyous time of the year. Along with the longer days and brighter nights it brought a sense of the ‘new’. Read more about Easter Traditions → bit.ly/3QggJ4M Pictured - A Nostalgic Easter; Quilling, Making Easter Bonnets

Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

🌱 Untitled (Springtime in Ireland) by Caroline Watson, 1983. In our Sound Archive, we're honoured to have a recording of Caroline Watson reciting her poetry. This one was inspired by #spring in Ireland. As our days are getting warmer, brighter & longer, we're delighted to share this gem with you 🌸

Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

Caroline's oral history was taken in 1983 by Anthony Buckley. To date, we have been unable to locate a copyright holder for this recording despite every reasonable effort having been made to trace them. If you have any information regarding this please contact picture.library@nationalmuseumsni.org

Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

🏆 Congratulations to Jessie Buckley for winning Best Actress at the #Oscars! No Hamnet spoilers, but we were excited to spot a straw knot during an emotional scene. We asked our talented Visitor Guide Margaret to see if she could help us recreate this Oscar-worthy knot. #HarvestKnot #HamnetKnot

Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

This handkerchief tells of a small but significant act of Mother Mary Smith to uplift Irish women in the 1800s. The handkerchief has a border of Youghal needlepoint lace. Youghal lace was developed by Mother Smith of Presentation Convent, Youghal, to provide employment for women in the local area.

Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

Irish lace has a rich history spanning nearly 4 centuries. The skills and artistry of the women who made lace live on in examples of Irish lace in collections across the world. This #InternationalWomen’sDay, explore our lace collection with Valerie Wilson, Curator of Textiles → bit.ly/Irish_Lace

Ulster Folk Museum reposted

CEDaR
@cedarrecordsni.bsky.social

The first signs of spring @ulsterfolkmuseum.org Lesser celandine, with its yellow flower & heart shaped leaves signifies “joys to come”. It’s one of the first pollinator food sources to emerge after winter! Last spring we received 105 records of Ficaria verna. Let us know if you see it this year!

Ulster Folk Museum
@ulsterfolkmuseum.org

📷 Rowland Street/Tea Lane, June 1974 This terrace of six houses were built in the late 1820s on Rowland Street, off Sandy Row. They were dismantled and moved to the Folk Museum in 1976. Join Victoria Millar, Senior Curator of History, for a talk on the Tea Lane Houses → bit.ly/4b3rgYa