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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 18/09/2026

Join the team that will be involved in 'Reawakening the Ulster Folk Museum', our £50m transformation project, as an Assistant Curator - Folk Life. Thanks to the #NationalLotteryHeritageFund, this is a fixed-term post for 3.5 years. Application deadline 27.09.26 ce0568li.webitrent.com/ce0568li_web...

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 21/08/2026

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.

On a sunny day, a parish stands outside of a church in a tree-covered lane. They are smiling for the camera in their Sunday best.

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 07/08/2026

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

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 04/08/2026

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!

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 23/06/2026

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?

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 18/06/2026

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.

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 09/06/2026

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

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 09/06/2026

this jug is both our humble submission for your consideration, and our reaction to reading this post

A large jug shaped like a man's head. He has a silly little smile on his face, like he has a secret. Its accession number is HOYFM.FOLKTEMP.1185.

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 05/06/2026

🌿 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

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 18/05/2026

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!

A red booklet, with patterns of a spinning wheel and the flag of Ulster. Text reads, 'A Folk Museum for Ulster'.

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 18/05/2026

Ironically, our favourite from these North American pamphlets comes from Newfoundland's tourist association, not the museums. Sorry Bath Marine Museum!

A blue pamphlet decorated with illustrations of little houses. The text reads Upper Canada Village, Crysler Farm, Battlefield Park Morrisburg, Ontario.

A pamphlet from the Bath Marine Museum in Bath, Maine. Further text gives details on how to find the museum, its opening hours and so on, and features a photograph of a model ship.

A pamphlet for the Goyette Museum of Americana. The text evokes the stereotypical wild west with its font. There is no imagery, instead a long list of what you can find at the museum, including an apothecary, barber, and toy shop.

A tourist guide to Newfoundland. It is brown, with a golden hourglass. Text reads 'Historic Newfoundland: The Golden Sands of Time'.

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 18/05/2026

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?

A bright red museum pamphlet reading 'Statemuseum for folklore', with delicate white illustrations.

A white pamphlet with a red border. Text reads 'guide netherlands open air museum, Arnhem'. There are red and blue illustrations of trees, windmills, and people dancing.

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 18/05/2026

Another winner in the illustration category, this guide to @themerl.bsky.social set Estyn Evans back only one shilling.

A cream-coloured pamphlet with an illustration of an early plough. In flowery, fancy lettering, the text reads: A Guide to the Museum of English Rural Life, University of Reading.

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 18/05/2026

Familiar to some fellow museums on here who attended the @museumsassociation.org 2025 conference, this pamphlet comes from the Welsh Folk Museum - today known in English as St Fagans National Museum of History.

A pamphlet that reads 'Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Cymru - National Museum of Wales' at the top, with the main text reading 'Welsh Folk Museum St. Fagans'. The pamphlet is a lime-ish yellow. The main illustration is of the main building at the museum, large mansion with castle walls and trees in front. At the bottom, there are a series of illustrations of everyday objects, such as a ladel, a vase and a rug.

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 18/05/2026

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...

In the foreground of this photo, nettles are gathered in a wicker basket. The basket is outside, and we see a traditional Irish coastal landscape in the background.

Nettles sit in a bright wooden bowl on top of a deck table.

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 15/05/2026

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

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 12/05/2026

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.

A postcard from the early 1900s. A man holds his head in one hand, baffled, as if to say, 'How could I have thought the University of Galway was hiring a druid?'

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 08/05/2026

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.

A black and white photograph of a small bed, pushed up against a wall. Underneath the bed, two large pans of milk have been placed to sour, for some reason.

A black and white photograph of a woman in a large kitchen. She has two butter pats in her hands, and she is patting butter in a large wooden bowl.

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 05/05/2026

🧈 It’s simpler than you’d think - just double cream, salt and a pinch of patience. This is butter making, the traditional way. Watch the full video → bit.ly/4tJYHXy #FoodHeritage #ButterMaking #HowTo

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 01/05/2026

#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

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 27/04/2026

📸 Taken in 1961, this photograph shows the original entrance to the #UlsterFolkMuseum. Discover the story behind the Ulster Folk Museum on a guided walking tour on Saturday 9th May → www.ulsterfolkmuseum.org/whats-on/beh... HOYFM.L.10.13

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 24/04/2026

Did you know we have a Teachers Panel? This year, we’d love to hear from more Irish‑medium primary teachers. Are you free after school on Thursday 7 May? 🕓 4.00–5.30pm 📍 Ulster Folk Museum If you’re interested in taking part, we’d love to hear from you: forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/Respon...

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 24/04/2026

What better way to spend a sunny spring Saturday than strolling around the Ulster Folk Museum at Leaf and Lore – a guided walk discovering Ireland’s native trees and the folklore that surrounds them. Happening tomorrow, Sat 25th April! Book your tickets - www.ulsterfolkmuseum.org/whats-on/lea...

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 23/04/2026

"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

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 17/04/2026

🍃 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

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 06/04/2026

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”.

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 06/04/2026

From all of us at the Folk Museum (and also the grown-up Teletubby baby), happy Easter! 🥚: A cardboard Easter egg from Sloan's Draper's shop in Kilkeel, HOYFM.159.1982B.

A cardboard Easter egg. The decoration is a creepy looking face in the middle of what might have intended to be a yolk, or a sun. The creepy face is smiling.

A photograph showing the cardboard Easter egg's two halves. The inside is cardboard with bits of lace paper around the seam.

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 04/04/2026

🥚 #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

A woman decoractes an egg for easter, gluing little red flowers on top for texture. She sits at a table full of craft items.

A woman, smiling, stands behind a young girl whose hand made Easter bonnet she is helping adjust. The bonnet has big bright flowers made of crepe paper. A younger child stans to the right, also wearing a bright Easter bonnet with crepe flowers.

The two girls in the previous photo with their easter bonnets pose for a photograph, while their parents smile on at them.

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 02/04/2026

Were these postcards the original memes?! We have a full greengrocer's worth in our collection that were sent to different people!

A postcard showing a young couple dressed in early 1900s clothing. The caption reads: Onions: tears without grief. He - 'I was to blame'. She - 'No, no. 'Twas I.'

A postcard showing a young couple dressed in early 1900s clothing. They are in a river, with the man holding the woman above water. The caption reads: Beans: Sustaining. 'have no fear, I will support you'.

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 20/03/2026

🌱 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 🌸

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 18/03/2026

🏆 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

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 08/03/2026

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.

A delicate lace handkerchief with a border of lace, incorporating plant designs including clover.

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 03/03/2026

Born 175 years apart, we brought together two folk bards from County Down through our Library and Archives. Experience folk singer-songwriter Joshua Burnside (b.1989) and Robert Huddleston (b.1814) through music and storytelling in ‘The Folk Bards of Ulster’. www.ulsterfolkmuseum.org/stories/folk...

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 27/02/2026

📷 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

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 20/02/2026

What do you call a young cow? 🤔🐄 This map illustrates what people call cattle across Ulster. It looks as though this map may not be fully complete - is the key unfinished? What names would fill in the gaps? #UlsterFolkMusuem #DialectArchive #Maps #YoungCow

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 31/01/2026

Our lovely Visitor Guide Suzanne is back! This time she's making a four-armed St. Brigid's Cross 😍 Read more about St. Brigid's Day and watch our longer tutorial video → bit.ly/49Pv3ZF #StBrigidsDay #StBrigidsCross #StBrigid

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 23/01/2026

💥🔨 Spend some time in the forge with our #HeritageBlacksmith Matthew Walton, as he shows us how to make a copper bowl and steel bottle opener. Watch the full video → bit.ly/4r9BwnY #Blacksmithing #HeritageSkills

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 19/01/2026

Feeling the effects of Blue Monday? Worry not - spring is close enough to touch 🫴🌱 Longer days, warmer nights, flowers blooming, and roosters crowing. (Although, the roosters do that throughout winter, too.) #BlueMonday

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 16/01/2026

How many doors does your kitchen have? 🤔 This map from 1961 illustrates places in Ulster where people had one door into their kitchen, or two. We can't quite figure out the meaning of semicircle in the key - do any of you have one and a half doors into your kitchen? #UlsterDialect #Maps

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 12/12/2025

🔥 Looking for a slow-paced #craft to keep you occupied by the fire this winter? Join our talented Education Assistant Hannah Ferguson and learn about the art of making a #RagRug, and how to keep this tradition alive → bit.ly/HowTo-RagRug

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 31/10/2025

Samhain Stories from the Sound Archive | EPISODE 4 Our fourth episode of spooky stories from the archives is all about the banshee, whose wails warned that death was near 😱 Have you heard the banshee's lonely cry? #Halloween #Samhain #Folklore

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 30/10/2025

Samhain Stories from the Sound Archive | EPISODE 3 Introducing the third episode of spooky stories from the archives - we're making a return to GHOST STORIES 👻 We've taken a deep dive into hours of oral history recordings to hear from voices past about the ghosts of Ulster. #Halloween #Samhain

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 29/10/2025

Samhain Stories from the Sound Archive | EPISODE 2 Introducing our second episode of #spooky stories from the Sound Archive, all about THE DEVIL 😈 We've taken a deep dive into hours of oral history recordings to hear from voices past, sharing their stories about the Devil... #Halloween #Samhain

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 28/10/2025

Samhain Stories from the Sound Archive | EPISODE 1 Introducing our new series on spooky stories from the archives, and our first episode is on GHOSTS 👻 We've taken a deep dive into hours of oral history recordings to hear from voices past about the ghosts of Ulster. #Halloween #Samhain

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 23/10/2025

This past month has seen a flourishing of #fungi at the Folk Museum - including a sighting of Dead Man's Fingers, the most fiendishly-named fungi 🍄 Explore some of the fungi to keep your eyes peeled for on a hair-raising Hallowe'en walk → bit.ly/Fiendishfungi #UlsterFolkMuseum #Halloween

A log with two fungi sprouting. They are two long, black, finger-shaped fungi.

A log with two fungi sprouting. They are two long, black, finger-shaped fungi. Beside the fungi, a hand is making a peace sign.

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Ulster Folk Museum @ulsterfolkmuseum.org · 14/10/2025

Sparks flying, fire roaring, bells ringing - are we describing love or a day in the forge? 💥🔨 When it comes to Matthew's work as a blacksmith, it's both. #HeritageSkills #Blacksmithing #HandForged

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