Ulster Folk & Transport Museum
Ulster Folk & Transport Museum
Cultra
Holywood
Co. Down
BT18 0EU
Northern Ireland
Website
Marketing
Telephone
028 90 428428
Marketing Department
02890395100
Fax
028 90 428728
Take time to explore one of Ireland’s foremost visitor attractions, recapturing a disappearing way of life, preserving traditional skills and celebrating transport history.
Venue Type:
Museum
Additional info
How to Get There
The Museum is situated on the main Belfast to Bangor Road, just ten minutes outside Belfast with excellent access by road, rail and bus, and close to Belfast City Airport.
Nearest rail station to the Museum is Ballycultra Halt. Buses stop outside the Museum entrance.
At the open air Folk Museum 60 acres are devoted to illustrating the way of life of people of the north of Ireland in the early 1900s. Visitors can stroll through yesteryear’s countryside with its farms, cottages, crops and livestock and visit a typical 1900’s Ulster town with its shops, churches, and terraced housing. Indoors the Folk Gallery features a number of exhibitions.
The indoor Transport Museum boasts the most comprehensive transport collection in Ireland. The Irish Railway Collection is displayed in an award-winning gallery, explaining the history and impact of both standard and narrow gauge railways in Ireland. Along side the Irish Railway Collection are the Road Transport Galleries. These Galleries boast a fine collection of vehicles ranging from cycles, motorcycles, trams, buses, fire engines and cars.
As part of your visit to the Transport Museum also visit the “Titanic” exhibition is located at the lower Transport Galleries.
Collection details
Agriculture, Architecture, Archives, Aviation, Costume and Textiles, Decorative and Applied Art, Fine Art, Land Transport, Maritime, Medicine, Music, Natural Sciences, Photography, Religion, Science and Technology, Social History, Sport
Key artists and exhibits
- Harvest Festival and Service
- Sunday 10th October
- Enjoy traditional Harvest Day activities, see countryside skills and crafts and sample traditional foods. At 4.00pm everyone is welcome to join in the Harvest Thanksgiving Service in Kilmore Church.
- ** Hallowe'en Family Festival
- Sunday 31st October
- A variety of activities traditionally associated with the festival of Hallowe'en for children and adults, including apple games, cabbage reading (fortune telling), ghost walks, Hallowe'en art, craft activities and performances by the Armagh Rhymers. During the half-term break there will other traditional Hallowe’en activities.
- Model Railway Day
- Saturday 13th November
- Railway layouts galore, in a variety of scales and gauges, to entertain and enthral children and adults and children alike. Come along to see these model engines in a unique setting alongside their full sized counterparts. Organised by the Friends of Cultra.
- Voyaging in Fact and Fiction
- Sunday 28th November, 2.30pm
- An illustrated talk by Michael McCaughan, Keeper of Transport in the Transport Museum. Telephone 02890428428 to reserve a place.
- Tin Whistle and Flute Classes and Recital
- Saturday 27th November
- Suitable for players of all levels and held in Cultra Manor. To book a place (£10 per person) and for further information please telephone 02890428428
- ** The Spirit of Christmas Past
- Sunday 12th December
- Enjoy the nostalgia of Christmas past in the Museum's candlelit Ballycultra Town. See how the festive season has transformed over the decades into the Christmas we celebrate today. Join in craft activities, sample traditional food and hot punch and listen to the Silver Band playing carols.
- Christmas Carols and Services at Kilmore Church in the Museum's Ballycultra Town
- Carols by Candlelight 7.30pm
- 13th, 14th, 16th, 17th, 20th, 21st and 22ndDecember
- Advent Procession 7.30pm
- Wednesday 15th December
- Nine Lessons and Carols 4.00pm
- Sunday 19th December
- Please telephone 028 90 428428 to book a place as numbers are limited.
- Traditional Music Concert
- Mid December date
- An evening event in the Church of St John the Baptist. To book a ticket (£8 each) and for further information please telephone 02890428428
- ** On large event days the combined admission price applies
- Folk Galleries
- A Place of Sport
- Opens March 2004 until March 2005
- Using colourful objects and historic photographs and film, this exhibition shows how sport is central to the life of local communities of Northern Ireland. Among the very many topics covered are road bowls from Armagh, hurling from the Ards peninsula, golf from the Portrush and boxing from Belfast’s Sailortown.
- Farming and Food
- A fascinating exhibition showing the development and change in farming techniques and implements.
- Meet the Victorians
- The Victorian era 1837 - 1901 witnessed more rapid change than any other previous period. This lively and interesting exhibition presents some of the changes which transformed people's lives.
- Transport Galleries
- Irish Railway Collection
- A magnificent collection of great trains from the past, dating from the first railway in Ireland, is creatively displayed in an award winning gallery.
- Road Transport
- This unique collection includes bicycles, motorcycles, trams, buses, fire engines and cars. Belfast street scenes and a 'mods and rockers' themed café are all featured in what is a ‘back from the future’ experience.
- Titanic
- This exhibition illustrates the ship's construction, loss and legend. It uses original Titanic material along with vintage photographs, recordings, newsreels and music.
- For a copy of the 2004 Events and Exhibitions programme contact: ULSTER FOLK AND TRANSPORT MUSEUM
- Cultra, Holywood, BT18 0EU
- 02890428428 02890428728
- www.uftm.org.uk
Goldthread embroidery with beadwork
Create your own piece of goldwork embroidery based on designs taken from the Museum’s textile collection. Goldwork is the art of embroidery using metal threads. It is particularly prized for the way light plays on it. The term “goldwork” is used even when the threads are imitation gold, silver or copper. Goldwork is always surface and free embroidery
the vast majority is a form of laid-work or couching
that is, the gold threads are held onto the surface of the fabric by a second thread, usually of fine silk. Suitable for all levels of ability.
When
10:30am-4pm
Admission
£32/£27 + £10 to tutor for materials
Leaded Stained Glass Panel
Taking themes from nature, travel or animals and using an extensive colour palette you will be taught how to take pieces of stained glass and fuse them together using lead to create stained glass panel.
NB: Some experience essential as participants need to have an awareness of how to cut glass to design.
When
10:30am-4pm
Admission
£50/£45 + £10 to tutor for materials
Be A ‘Smithy’ For The Day
The museum’s ‘smithy’ will take you on as an apprentice for the day. All you need is a strong arm and plenty of gusto to operate the bellows! As well as learning some tricks of the trade, you will also mould the iron to make a fireside poker to take away with you for your home. Limited places - beginners welcome.
Suitable for
- Any age
- Family friendly
When
10:30am-4:30pm
Admission
£45.00 (£40.00 concessions) including materials.
Tiffany Glass Evening Class
Taking themes from nature, travel or animals and using an extensive colour palette you will be taught how to take pieces of stained glass and fuse them together using copper foil to create a Tiffany styled lampshade for your home.
When
7-9pm
Admission
£60/£55 + a payment to tutor for materials
Be A ‘Smithy’ For The Day
The museum’s ‘smithy’ will take you on as an apprentice for the day. All you need is a strong arm and plenty of gusto to operate the bellows! As well as learning some tricks of the trade, you will also mould the iron to make a fireside poker to take away with you for your home. Limited places - beginners welcome.
Suitable for
- Any age
- Family friendly
When
10:30am-4:30pm
Admission
£45.00 (£40.00 concessions) including materials.
Do it together… family activity - Clay Wall Tile
Use the Museum houses as your inspiration as you work together using clay to make a wall tile for your home. Children and adults work together on two pieces which will be fired in the Museum kiln to be collected two weeks after your workshop.
When
10:30am-3pm
Admission
£25 adult & £12 child aged 10 years + (includes materials)
Drawn Threadwork Decorated Scarf
Drawn threadwork is a form of counted-thread embroidery based on removing threads from the warp and/or weft of a piece of fabric. It is traditionally done in white thread on white fabric. Try this beautiful textile tradition for yourself as you decorate the ends of a scarf.
When
10:30am-4:30pm
Admission
£32/£27 + £10 to Tutor for materials
Willow Sculpture
Spend two days under the guidance of the Museum’s expert basket maker learning how to weave a garden sculpture using willow. (It is necessary to attend both days)
When
10:30am-4:30pm
Admission
£70/£65 includes materials
Rag Rug Wreath
Using traditional Rag Rug techniques you will make use of old fabric to make a wreath to hang on your door. This can be custom-made by using specific colours of fabric to suit any season or event throughout the year.
When
10:30am-4pm
Admission
£32/£27
Up-cycle your Jewellery
If you have various bits and pieces of broken jewellery lying around your house why not come along to this workshop and learn how to reuse the beads, chains and charms to create a new piece to add to your jewellery wardrobe or give to someone as a unique gift.
NB: Price includes entrance to the Folk & Transport Museum if participants wish to look around the exhibits after their workshop.
When
10am-1pm
Admission
£15/£12 (participants bring their own jewellery pieces with them, however new clasps etc. can be purchased from the tutor)
Do it together… family activity - A Titanic Morning
Enjoy a morning working together and learning more about the Titanic story in the Museum’s Titanica exhibition, recreate a tile using funky foam and an acetate stained glass panel - inspired by the Gentlemen’s First Class Smoking Room on Titanic.
When
10am-1:30pm
Admission
£20 adult & £10 children aged 10 years + (includes materials)
Blacksmithing Weekend
The museum’s ‘smithy’ will take you on as an apprentice. All you need is a strong arm and plenty of gusto to operate the bellows! As well as learning some tricks of the trade, you will also mould the iron to make a selection of household items to take home. Limited places - intermediate level.
Suitable for
- Any age
- Family friendly
When
10:30am-4:30pm
Admission
£70.00/£65.00 includes materials.
3D Clay Piece
Use the Museum surroundings as your inspiration as you create a 3D model using clay. Your piece will be fired in the Museum kiln to be collected two weeks after your workshop.
When
10:30am-3:30pm
Admission
£45/£40 (includes materials)
Blacksmithing Weekend
The museum’s ‘smithy’ will take you on as an apprentice. All you need is a strong arm and plenty of gusto to operate the bellows! As well as learning some tricks of the trade, you will also mould the iron to make a selection of household items to take home. Limited places - intermediate level.
Suitable for
- Any age
- Family friendly
When
10:30am-4:30pm
Admission
£70.00/£65.00 includes materials.
Wax Works - Candle Making
This workshop allows you to try your hand at making your own candles ready to give as gifts or light your home. You will learn about forms of lighting from the past and focus on the Victorian art of dipped candles as well as looking at contemporary forms of candle making from the present day. The tutor will show you how to use moulds, add texture and emboss your candle.
Suitable for
- Any age
- Family friendly
When
10:30am-4pm
Admission
£32/£27 + £5 to tutor for materials
Step Into a 1900s Christmas
Leave the hustle and bustle of the high street behind and experience the gentler and quieter atmosphere of Christmas here at the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum.
Learn how to make traditional Edwardian 3D pop up Christmas cards and other children's activities. Children can post their letters to Santa in the traditional post office and Santa will be warming his feet by the fire in one of our houses between 12noon and 3pm each day. You can also taste a traditional Christmas with samples of seasonal food including fruit loaves, Christmas puddings and cinnamon toast.
Suitable for
- Any age
- Family friendly
When
10am-4pm
Admission
Adults £7.00. Children (5 to 17 years) £4.50. Concs £4.50 Family (2 adults and up to 3 children) £20.00. Family (1 adult and up to 3 children) £14.50. Children aged 4 and under are free.
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