High Cross extension opens at Down County Museum

High Cross extension opens at Down County Museum

23 September 2015

THE Down County Museum’s stunning new new High Cross gallery has been formally opened.

The £650,000 extension at the Downpatrick museum houses the original High Cross formerly located outside nearby Down Cathedral, which has now been preserved for posterity.

The new gallery was officially opened last wee and coincided with the launch of new permanent exhibitions at the English Street complex and the opening of the Downpatrick museum’s new tearoom, run by the Mainstay DRP charity.

The Raising the Cross in Down permanent exhibition tells the story of the Downpatrick High Cross and its place in the early Christian tradition of Co. Down, with a fascinating collection of artefacts illustrating the story of the development of Christianity in the locality, with the centrepiece the 10th century High Cross displayed in a specially constructed gallery.

The Cross was carefully moved from the cathedral to ensure its preservation for future generations and makes a stunning impact in the gallery, highlighting its importance in local history. 

The extension was funded by the European Union’s Interreg cross-border programme, the Department of Environment, Friends of Down County Museum, the Northern Ireland Museums Council and the Esmé Mitchell Trust, with the Dean and Chapter of Down Cathedral key partners in the programme.

Addressing guests at last week’s official opening, Newry, Mourne and Down Council chairwoman Naomi Bailie said the extension was planned to protect and preserve the weathered 1,100-year-old High Cross and interpret it for the benefit of local people and tourists alike.

She said the extension also houses a new tearoom and three new galleries dedicated to interpreting key elements of the museum’s collections and aspects of Co. Down’s unique heritage.

“The High Cross is the centrepiece of the new Raising the Cross in Down gallery and its dramatic presentation and associated collections, alongside the interpretation of the local historic landscape will help visitors learn more about the Early Christian heritage of Down and the legacy of St Patrick,”she said.

“Over the past seven years the extension project has been developed to dramatically improve the storage and display of the museum’s fine collection of farming and fishing-related objects, some of which are unique to Co. Down, creating a gallery dedicated to our agricultural and maritime heritage.”

Ms Bailie said the Harvests from Land and Sea exhibition showcased some of the major historic items from the museum’s collections relating to the area’s most important industries.

“The At Present Confined: Life in the Old Gaol gallery tells the story of some of the prisoners who were imprisoned in the old county Gaol at the museum between 1796 and 1830 and is an important addition to the interpretation of one of the district’s most important and iconic buildings, with a display of bonnets made by local people reflecting the work of the international Roses from the Heart project which commemorates the thousands of women and babies transported to Australia, many from this very gaol.”

The council chairwoman said the new galleries provide a major addition to the museum’s provision for visitors and will enable tourists, groups, families and schoolchildren to find out more about key periods in local history, as well as creating greater access to the collections.

Ms Bailie paid tribute to people who had donated objects to the museum since its inception in 1981.

She added: “The museum’s collection has been built up over the past 34 years largely through donations from people from all over Co. Down and it is wonderful to see many of these objects feature in these new galleries.

“Of course, the project could not have been delivered without the commitment and hard work of Newry, Mourne and Down Council staff and councillors and I wish to thank them all for their dedication in making this happen over many years. The results have produced a must-see attraction in Downpatrick and I wish to congratulate everyone involved.”