ULSTER FOLK & TRANSPORT MUSEUM - BELFAST
Titanic, Steam Railways and Living Folk Exhibits
A short train ride from downtown Belfast, escape back in time to experience a way of life from a century ago. Explore a recreated country village of the past with farms, cottages, shops and schools set in a green park with costumed re-enactors demonstrating traditional crafts or discover the historic modes of transportation developed from the industrial age to modern times, mighty steam locomotives, motor cars and aircraft in the halls of the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum.
The transport museum of Northern Ireland houses one of the most impressive railroad collections in Europe as well as road travel and aviation galleries. The Irish Railway Collection is set in a cavernous gallery space, the largest single museum hall in Ireland, built in the form of a great Victorian era railway station, housing steam locomotives, rail cars and rolling stock from all corners of Ireland, to represent the development of railroads and their impact on daily life in the 19th and early 201th Centuries. The passage carriages at platforms as if ready to depart are occupied by passengers in period costumes embarking on a journey, while interactive displays railroading memorabilia explore 150 years of railway history.
The first passenger railway in Ireland began operations in 1834, transporting passengers and mail from Dublin to the port city of Dun Laoghaire (Kingstown) where ferry’s still arrive and depart from the rail terminus (see Irish Ferries) A second rail line was soon built between Belfast and Lisburn. By 1850 rail travel had become common and with lines connecting major towns built with standard gauge tracks.
More remote areas of the country couldn’t support the larger standard rail stock, so in 1880, the Tramways Act provided for the building of smaller narrow gauge railways. The museum has an extensive collection of narrow gauge equipment and trolley cars to compliment then heavy main line rail cars. The hero centerpiece attraction of the collection is the mighty “Maedb”, the most powerful steam locomotive ever built in Ireland, while the earliest on display is a rail car from the Dublin Kingstown Railway.
The Road Transport Gallery is next door to the rail gallery, featuring a wide collection of roadway vehicles featuring Irish built motorcars and motorcycles, as well as busses, lorries and byicycles and an fascinating collection of street trams. A center of the collection is the icon DeLorean, recognized now as basis of the “Back To The Future” car, but the original variety manufactured in Ireland. The bicycles of the collection feature names like Dandy Horse and the Penny Farthing. The motorcycles heavily represent Triumph and Norton. The transport collection is finished off by fire engines, both motorized and horse drawn.
The Air, Land and Sea Galleries house an aviation collection including a dozen examples of aircraft including a sea plane constructed as a flying yacht with bookcase and wine rack as well as the landing floats. The maritime collection included fishing and working boast, marine engines and a 120 ton scooner, the “Result”. But the star attraction of the maritime section is the Titanica Exhibit
TITANICa The Exhibition
For almost a century after the tragic sinking of the most famous ocean liner, the RMS Titanic, her history and connection with Belfast was, if not forgotten, at least let slip into the deep, but a reawakening and rediscovery of that history is explored at the Titanica Exhibit at the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum. Where the recently open Titanic experience at the Harland and Wolff construction location is a theme adventure (see Titanic Experience), the transport museum displays over 500 original artefacts, including Titanic objects recovered from the Atlantic Ocean bottom. Here are original design plans of the ship with last minute changes as well as a porthole and a soup tureen found in explorations of the wreck site. Outside, the Titanica People’s Story is a living history experience where you can walk recreated historic streets and chat with costumed docents for a personal human view of what the life of the constructors was like. Print out your own Titanic Ticket, or dress up in period costume for a family photo.
From the museum, stroll to the outdoor Folk Museum stretching across 170 acres of riverside rolling country. The Balleycultra town features original houses, shops, churches, a bank and a school representing the Ireland of 1900. Learn from living costumed visitor guides about the occupations and lifestyles of the turn of the century, while Irish farm life can be discovered at the Ballyveigh Farm and the Gorticashel Flax Mill.
Visiting the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum
The museum is open from 10am to 5 pm March to September daily and 10am to 4pm from October to February Tuesday to Friday and 11am, to 4pm Saturday and Sunday. Closed on Mondays, (except for Northern Ireland Bank Holidays). The Transport Museum Galeris and the Folk Museum require separate or combined admission. Prices for one or the other are £8 the for adults £4.50 Children 5 to 17 and £6 for Students and Seniors, with a Family Ticket for £22, including two adults.. Tickets for both museums on the same day and Special Event Days are £9.50, £5, £7, and £25 respectively. The museum is a two rail stops from the Titanic Quarter. © Bargain
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SEE ALSO:
BELFAST WAR MEMORIAL & HOME FRONT EXHIBIT
GAME OF THRONES LOCATIONS TOUR
GAME OF THRONES STUDIO TOUR
