Stories

The Longest Day of the Year

A sacred celebration of fire, rituals and the sun, Midsummer has its roots in ancient Irish traditions.

A view of country scenery: green fields, blue skies, and white clouds.

The Land

Rhythms of the Year

Learn about the traditional agricultural year in Ulster.

View of the Ulster Folk Museum rural area

The Land

Sounds of the Ulster Folk Museum

Sounds from around the Ulster Folk Museum that will connect you to our natural and cultural landscapes.

Two older women share a laugh together in a black and white photograph.

Women in Frame

Exploring the lives of the women of Ulster through photography.

May Day Traditions

Dive into the world of May Day traditions.

A black and white old photograph with two men outside of a cottage. One is standing holding rushes, the other sits and makes St Brigid's crosses.

St. Brigid's Day

Learn about the origins and rituals of St. Brigid's Day.

Languages of Ulster

Ulster Dialects At Sixty

Dónal McAnallen, Library & Archives Manager, reflects on 60 Years of the Ulster Dialect Archive.

A peek at the Ulster Folk Museum, with a stone school on the left with arched windows, and a garden and a row of houses in the background peeking over a hedge.

Behind the Scenes

Heritage Building Conservation

Katherine McClean, Built Heritage and Capital Projects Manager, shares her work conserving the heritage buildings of the Folk Museum.

Languages of Ulster

Guest Blog

A Year in Words

Archivist Niamh Dolan talks to us about the recent 'Unlocking Ulster’s Languages Archives' project to catalogue the collection and broaden access to our Dialect Archive.

A group of men stand around a curator, who is holding a box and speaking about the woven object inside.

Behind the Scenes

Touring the Folk Life Store

Reawakening the Ulster Folk Museum means widening access to our collection.

Old fashioned black and white image of four women posing for a photograph, two standing behind two seated

Women of the Ulster Folk Museum

Senior Curator of History, Victoria Millar, explores the lives of some of the women who lived in the buildings of the Ulster Folk Museum.

A white spool of thread, with a label reading 'One Mile'.

Behind the Scenes

Making a Move

Join Valerie Wilson, Curator of Textiles, as she introduces us to Context - the project to move our collection to new, state-of-the-art storage.

A colour photograph. In the foreground, a farmhouse sits on a hill. In the background, the Glens of Antrim stretch into the distance on a sunny day.

The Hyndman Family

Originally from the townland of Coshkib, a few miles north of Cushendall, Co. Antrim, Coshkib Hill Farm was formerly owned by the Hyndman family.

Side angle photo of the meeting street houses at the Ulster Folk Museum

Life on Meeting Street

In 1981 a terrace of four houses opened at the Ulster Folk Museum. Originally from Meeting Street in Dromore, Co. Down, the houses were acquired by the museum prior to their planned demolishment to make way for new housing.

Side angle photo of thatched cottage, Duncrun Cottier's House

Residents of Duncrun Cottier's House

Several generations of two local Magilligan families lived in the house. Find out more about their lives and their history.

Black and white image of houses in Belfast

From Castles to the Poor House

Houses and homes are captured within our photographic collections. Explore the many dwellings captured in Northern Ireland, from country cottages to castles.

The McCullagh Family

The Old Rectory is probably one of the most recognisable and picturesque buildings at the Ulster Folk Museum. Learn more about the McCullagh family who lived there for many years.

Horses, a constant companion

Photos from the archive of our constant companions: horses.

Side angle photo of the Ballintaggart Court Tomb on a sunny day

The Neolithic Past of Ulster

Learn about the Ballintaggart Court tomb and the Neolithic period with Dr Greer Ramsey, Curator of Archaeology.

Black and white photograph by W.A. Green

The Giants' Graves of W. A. Green

As the Ballintaggart Court tomb arrives at the Ulster Folk Museum, we explore how the people of Ulster viewed archaeological monuments in the landscape.

Portrait of a man hung above a fireplace