Event Type: Arts and Culture

Harvest Season at Ulster Folk Museum

Harvest is an important time of year and marks the culmination of the agricultural season when crops cultivated throughout the year are finally ready for gathering and processing.

It is a time of celebration and hard work with deep-rooted cultural and historical significance. Communities came together during the harvest season to help each other gather crops and store them for the winter months. The spirit of cooperation and camaraderie was evident as neighbours supported one another in this labour-intensive process. There were always jobs to be done in the harvest season – vegetables and fruits to be picked, crops to be harvested, corn to be threshed and ground, flax to be pulled and food to be preserved in preparation for the long winter months.

But harvest wasn’t only a time of hard work and was also a joyous celebration of the abundance of nature; fairs and feasts would have been a common occurrence through the season.

For the whole month of September, visit the Ulster Folk Museum  to explore and celebrate harvest and our close connection to the land and to each other. During your visit you can explore our beautiful exhibit buildings dressed for harvest and learn about traditional harvest activities. Our visitor guides will be busy making potato bread and butter and our craft demonstrators will be busy on harvest themed work. There are plenty of walks to take in the autumnal hues of the woods and farmlands as you watch the season turn and the work of harvest unfold.

Bad Bridget at Ulster American Folk Park

The Bad Bridget exhibition at Ulster American Folk Park (on display until April 2024) tells the stories of the thousands of women who left Ireland for North America between 1838 and 1918. Many of whom found themselves facing troubles and struggling to survive.

Through a sensory experience of the lives of these women, visitors are taken on a journey beginning with their lives in Ireland, their experiences of life alone at sea to seeking jobs once they landed in America; as well as the real life experiences of living in poverty within the tenement housing of the period.

Bad Bridget is a continuing collaboration between  the museum, Queen’s University Belfast and  Ulster University and is based on significant research carried out by Dr Elaine Farrell and Dr Leanne McCormick.

End of Harvest Celebration – Ulster Folk Museum

Harvest wasn’t only a time of hard work, it was also a joyous celebration of the abundance of nature. Rural communities came together during harvest to help each other gather crops and store them for the winter months and by the end of harvest, it’s a cause for celebration.

Join us in McCusker’s Pub for a drink and enjoy traditional music and dance, where our Senior Curator of History will be on hand to share her knowledge about the harvest season and answer your questions.

We’ll also be finishing a few harvest jobs like turning flax into fibre now the flax has been pulled. With the leftover straw, you can have a go at making harvest knots and straw ropes.

Or help us collect seeds from the native trees at the museum and learn how to process and store the seed, ready for planting in the spring in an interactive ‘seed collection’ workshop – pre-booking essential.

Cúl Trá-il at Ulster Folk Museum

Did you know: ‘Cúl Trá-il’ is derived from the Irish place name for Cultra (Baile Chúl Trá)?

This self-guided, educational trail at Ulster Folk Museum allows visitors to explore the rich and diverse language traditions associated with Irish-English, Irish and Ulster Scots. As you tour, you’ll get to explore the story of the Irish language through the places and people of the Ulster Folk Museum. The trail has been titled Cúl Trá-il, with its meaning derived from the Irish place name for Cultra (Baile Chúl Trá).

This is the first part of our wider ‘Languages of Ulster’ project, with research currently underway to introduce an Ulster Scots trail that celebrates local languages and culture as the next part. Choose to enjoy the trail using an illustrated map, which can be requested at admissions.

Drumming Circle and African Storytelling in Antrim Library

Come along to Antrim Library and join in with the African drum circle and listen to tales from our guest storyteller Khanyisa. This is a family event open to all ages and delivered in partnership with Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council.

Booking is advised.

Communit-Tea at Crumlin Library

Come along to Crumlin Library for some tea, stories and chat at our special Good Relations Event with guest Martin McDowell from North of Ireland Family History Society.

Disability on the Record Exhibition in Coleraine Library

Come along to Coleraine Library where you can view the PRONI exhibition “Disability on the Record”. This exhibition provides an overview of how disability has been represented in Northern Ireland over time. Please check Libraries NI website for opening times.

Celebration of 30 years

Shankill Parish Caring Association – SPCA is 30years and to celebrate The Jethro Centre are holding a Celebration day with Bouncy Castle, Face Painting and visit from Ice cream van. We shall also be showcasing the user groups in the centre from Speech; Drama, Art; Crafts, Pickleball; other sports. With performances from Lynsey Allen Ballet school, Musical society; much more!

Funding Information Fairs

County Armagh Community Development (CACD) are holding two funding and information fairs in the month of September, to which all the community is invited.

The funding and information fairs are being held in Armagh Orange Hall, Armagh, on Monday 18th September and in the Millennium Court, Portadown on Thursday 28th September.

The charities, funding organisations, and support networks present will be able to advise and give information about the very valuable service they provide, to those interested groups and individuals who attend.